Outside Source
Jessa Khan’s confidence could not be higher heading into her rematch against Danielle Kelly for the inaugural One Championship atomweight submission grappling title in a ONE on Prime Video 14 co-feature this Friday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore.
Khan captured her first world title in June at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation World Championship in Long Beach, California. Preparing for the two-day tournament took months of dedicated training and game planning for the best grapplers on the planet. Khan claims shifting her focus from a tournament to a single match has been a breeze.
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“I think it’s been easier. Since January to June, I’ve been in a gi for world’s camp,” Khan said. “Ever since winning worlds, I’ve been training no-gi for this fight. That’s like a three-month camp, so I’m more than ready.”
Khan has been on an international tear this year. In January, she took bronze at the European IBJJF Championship in France before claiming gold at the Southeast Asian Games in May. Her world title in June was the highlight of her season, but adding the ONE Championship belt could help grow her platform as one of the sport’s rising stars.
“Two years ago, I didn’t think that I would get this opportunity,” Khan said. “I feel like both [Kelly and I] are doing a great job with our career right now, and it’s only going to grow women’s jiu-jitsu.”
After signing with One Championship over a year ago, Khan will finally make her debut with the company. By contrast, Kelly has already competed three times, including a unanimous decision win over Ayaka Miura in February. Kelly lost the first match with Khan back in 2021 but feels their second encounter will tell an entirely different story. Not only has she gotten stronger, but she believes she has grown sharper, as well.
“I’ve always wanted this match, this title, and my mental game is way different than it was before,” Kelly said. “2021 was a really big up-and-down year, and to just compare myself to that year, I feel like I’ve improved a lot.”
Khan carries added confidence from having previously defeated Kelly, but she also recognizes that her opponent has improved. Their first match feels like a lifetime ago, and she could be facing an entirely different fighter. Either way, she expects to put on a show in a groundbreaking historic match.
“This will go down in history,” Khan said. “One of us will come out with the win, and if I get that title, it’ll be great because it’s just helping the next generation. I think that this is a steppingstone, and eventually, I hope to see other little girls that I teach get this opportunity and even more.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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