ONE Fight Night 7: Miura Plans To Use Kelly As Springboard To Xiong Rematch

Bangkok, February 24: Ayaka Miura has been to the mountaintop once before, and she will look to shake things up again as she enters new territory in ONE Championship.

"Zombie" will meet American BJJ prodigy Danielle Kelly in 119-pound catchweight submission grappling action this Saturday, 25 February, at ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II in Bangkok, Thailand.

An accomplished grappler in her own right, Miura has picked up four submission victories during her tenure in ONE - all coming by way of her signature Americana.

The Japanese judoka previously almost reached the pinnacle when she faced ONE Strawweight World Champion Xiong Jing Nan at ONE: HEAVY HITTERS in January 2022, following a three-fight winning streak.

This time around, Miura can focus fully on letting her grappling prowess flourish in the ring on Saturday (February 25). While she holds great respect for the 27-year-old's jiu-jitsu talents, the "Zombie" aims to stop Kelly's momentum in its tracks.

"Danielle Kelly is a great fighter. She is an all-rounder in this submission grappling game," Miura said.

"At the same time, she doesn't have any standout techniques because all her skill is at a high level, but that means she doesn't have a speciality. I think my physical strength and the judo skills I use in MMA are better than Danielle's, and I can show it in this grappling match.

"I will see if I can finish Danielle Kelly. Danielle Kelly will watch out for my lock - the one that everyone saw in the past fights. But you know, I'm training other techniques and other finishing techniques, or maybe I will showcase another side of Ayaka. I just want everyone to enjoy this fight. That's it."

In entering the submission grappling contest, Miura will be moving down in weight to face Kelly as she looks to return to winning ways on the back of a recent drop in form inside the Circle.

While the grappling contest will differ from her normal outings in mixed martial arts, the Japanese standout does have eyes on returning to strawweight once again, with plans on chasing the rematch against Xiong.

"I really want to challenge the belt from Xiong Jing Nan again. But I will stay at strawweight for now," Miura said.

"It means everything to me. It means everything to me as a lifelong martial artist. So if I can take the belt from Xiong, this is going to be everything. I have to put everything into what I've been doing. This means a lot."

Source: Media Release