Danielle Kelly Vs. Mayssa Bastos: 4 Keys To Victory In World Title Clash At ONE Fight Night 24
The co-main event of ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Prime Video will see two of jiu-jitsu’s top technicians lock horns in a highly anticipated World Title clash.
This Friday, in U.S. primetime, reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion Danielle Kelly will defend her gold for the first time against decorated Brazilian superstar Mayssa Bastos.
Each woman will bring a wealth of elite experience, dangerous submission-hunting skills, and plenty of motivation to that contest, as the winner will leave with 26 pounds of gold and establish herself as the planet’s best atomweight submission grappler.
Here, we break down the biggest keys to victory on both sides before the action begins at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
#1 Bastos’ Unstoppable Berimbolo
Any match involving Bastos is essentially guaranteed to see the berimbolo – a complex technique that involves inverting upside down and controlling the opponent’s hips with the ultimate goal of securing back control.
Already a nine-time IBJJF World Champion, the 26-year-old has made the berimbolo the foundation of her game, and she possesses arguably the best version in all of grappling.
Bastos will undoubtedly be hunting for the berimbolo against Kelly – and will constantly be looking to take the back, where she can slow down her foe’s aggressive style.
#2 Kelly’s Elite Leg Locks
The defending titleholder is a serious submission threat from practically any position, but against Bastos, she’s likely to employ her elite leg-lock game.
Because the Brazilian favors the berimbolo so strongly, she often exposes her legs to counter leg locks – and that’s exactly when Kelly should attack.
The American has cemented herself as one of the sport’s most talented leg-lockers, boasting submission wins by a wide variety of lower-body attacks, including straight ankle locks, kneebars, toeholds, and heel hooks.
In fact, Kelly’s World Title-winning performance against Jessa Khan last September came on the strength of a deep toehold attempt, and she’s likely to use the same tactic at ONE Fight Night 24.
#3 Bastos’ Pressure Passing
Even if Bastos is unable to secure a clean back-take with her berimbolo, she often uses the technique to gain the top position. From there, she goes to work with her criminally underrated pressure passing.
Unlike her flexible and movement-based guard game, Bastos’ top-position approach focuses on stifling her opponent’s movement, applying suffocating pressure, and passing the guard with fundamental yet highly effective techniques, such as the knee-cut pass.
What’s more, if Kelly has one weakness, it might be her guard retention. With that in mind, the challenger would be wise to fight for the top position, where she can employ her pressure passing to take control of the fight.
#4 Kelly’s Wrestling
In a division that is largely dominated by guard players, Kelly has proven to be perhaps the best atomweight takedown artist on the planet. When she squares off with Bastos, this world-class wrestling game could pay dividends in a couple of key ways.
First, the Philadelphia native’s ability to dominate the wrestling exchanges will be a valuable show of aggression and grappling superiority, should the match reach the judges’ scorecards.
Second, Kelly’s takedown skills could allow her to bypass Bastos’ feared guard by landing in a dominant position – whether in side control, mount, or taking the back directly from standing.
