Mayssa Bastos, a Brazilian superstar, successfully defended her ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Title against American rival Danielle Kelly at ONE Fight Night 26. Bastos took an aggressive, muscular approach, seizing the lead early before securing a clean leg-drag pass that put him in a strong position. Kelly demonstrated great defense and climbed to the top, where she immediately went to work with suffocating pressure and her guard-passing attempts.
The tempo did not slow down, and with less than two minutes remaining, the Brazilian increased the intensity even further. Mayssa Bastos aspires to be recognised as the top female submission grappler in terms of pound-for-pound performance. Danielle Kelly had a promotional record of 3-1-1, with one loss to Mayssa Bastos. The rematch nearly ended in a close judge’s decision, but Bastos scored a catch in the end.
After losing her world title, Bastos aims to improve her standing in the women’s atomweight submission grappling division. Bastos currently has a 3-0 record in the ONE Championship. The nine-time IBJJF world champion won a unanimous decision against Kanae Yamada before defeating Danielle Kelly twice. The Brazilian superstar must wait for another adversary to test her world-class abilities. Kelly will need at least one victory to earn another title opportunity.
Mayssa Bastos Challenges the Definition of Greatness
She has various alternatives for his next opponent, including a top-tier MMA fighter, a well-known promotional newbie, or a rematch with Jessa Khan. That buzzer-beating catch propelled the 27-year-old to a unanimous decision victory and cemented her status as the world’s best atomweight ground fighter – and an all-time great who is still improving. With another monumental victory, the reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion boosted her record to 120-12.
During the post-fight conference, “I don’t know. I would rather let people say. I’m not gonna say that I’m pound for pound, I would let people say if I am or not. I’ll be back for the next. Thank you, Thailand 🇹🇭 some pics.”
