- Danielle Kelly ONE Championship release was a mutual decision driven by long stretches of inactivity and a lack of clear plans for her competition schedule.
- Kelly signed with ONE in late 2022, won two submission matches and captured the atomweight submission grappling title before losing it in 2024.
- She grew frustrated that promised opportunities—four or five matches per year—did not materialize and that she felt pressured into taking a rematch she didn’t want.
- The Danielle Kelly ONE Championship release raises questions about how major promotions handle women’s grappling and may signal opportunities for other organizations to sign a high‑profile free agent.
From Champion to Free Agent — Why Danielle Kelly and ONE Championship split
When news broke on July 24 that former atomweight submission grappling champion Danielle Kelly was no longer on ONE Championship’s roster, fans wondered whether back‑to‑back decision losses to Mayssa Bastos had sealed her fate.
Less than two weeks later, Kelly released a vlog explaining that the Danielle Kelly ONE Championship release was not a punitive cut but a mutual decision. Her departure, she said, stemmed from long periods without matches and a feeling that the promotion no longer had a roadmap for her career.
Kelly joined ONE in December 2022 amid a concerted push to build a world‑class No‑Gi division. She quickly lived up to the hype, submitting veteran opponents and collecting performance bonuses.
Her win over IBJJF world champion Jessa Khan in September 2023 made her the inaugural atomweight champion and signaled that the promotion was serious about showcasing elite grappling. Even after dropping the title to Bastos in August 2024 and losing a rematch later that year, the promotion continued marketing her as a cornerstone of its grappling brand.
That’s why the Danielle Kelly ONE Championship release came as such a surprise: champions don’t usually become free agents less than a year after carrying a division.
How Kelly Helped Build ONE’s Women’s Grappling Division
Kelly’s signing was as much a statement of intent for ONE as it was a career milestone for her. An American black belt known for aggressive guard play and ruthless back takes, she brought name recognition and legitimacy to a division the promotion was creating from scratch.
In her first year, she scored submission wins against veteran grapplers and pocketed $50,000 performance bonuses, becoming a fan favorite and a benchmark for the division.
She was also the first woman to headline a submission grappling bout in ONE, attracting viewers who had never watched No‑Gi matches. For a while, the marriage looked perfect: the promotion needed star power and Kelly needed exposure.
However, even as she celebrated early success, Kelly hinted that the schedule was thinner than promised. Her contract included expectations of four or five matches per year, but after her title loss she went six to seven months without a booking.
For someone in her athletic prime, that’s an eternity. Meanwhile, ONE was making bold moves—adding UFC Fight Pass events, launching a reality show—and juggling dozens of fighters.
In that context, Kelly may have been de‑prioritized while matchmakers focused on other divisions. The Danielle Kelly ONE Championship release underscores how quickly promotional priorities can shift and how little control athletes have over their activity levels.
Danielle Kelly’s Account of the Release
In her vlog, Kelly addressed rumors head‑on and offered a detailed timeline. She said she began her stint with ONE content:
“In the beginning, I did. You know, I was really happy and satisfied,”
– Danielle Kelly –
But as months passed, the promised competition schedule evaporated. She felt the organization slowed her momentum, despite her willingness to fight anyone. Kelly recounted how matchmakers pushed her into a Bastos rematch by implying she would face an indefinite layoff if she declined:
“I was kind of like talked into taking the match because it was brought to me from the matchmaker saying if I didn’t take the match, I wouldn’t know when the next time I was competing,”
– Danielle Kelly –
After the rematch, she still went more than half a year without a fight and began receiving offers from other promotions. When she asked ONE about future plans and heard none, she and her manager requested a release.
Kelly also rejected the narrative that she was cut because of losses. She said the organization continued to support her financially and that she left on good terms:
“I was still being taken care of… so, it wasn’t just right after that I had gotten cut,”
– Danielle Kelly –
The key line explaining the Danielle Kelly ONE Championship release was her admission that she initiated the conversation:
“When I asked for matches and they were making decisions of my grappling career and getting offers from other promotions, I asked when I was competing next, and they apparently had no plans. So we only suggested a release,”
– Danielle Kelly –
In other words, she chose agency over waiting indefinitely. Her comments also shed light on the pressure athletes feel to accept unfavorable matchups. Being told to accept a rematch or sit on the sidelines left Kelly with little leverage.
These behind‑the‑scenes details make the Danielle Kelly ONE Championship release more than a simple transaction; it is a case study in the tensions between athlete autonomy and promotional control.
Who Will Snap Up Danielle Kelly After ONE?
With her contract terminated, Kelly becomes the most sought‑after grappling free agent in submission grappling. She has already indicated that she plans to “showcase my Jiu‑Jitsu and put on exciting matches” wherever she lands next.
Promotions such as UFC BJJ, the Craig Jones Invitational and Polaris are expanding their women’s grappling division roster and would benefit from signing a former ONE champion who still commands a following. The Danielle Kelly ONE Championship release could accelerate the talent arms race among organizations vying for streaming rights and spectatorship.
ONE made history by creating an atomweight division and paying grapplers performance bonuses, yet it could not keep its most marketable champion active. If athletes feel they must ask for releases to get fights, the system needs recalibration!
