When Danielle Kelly steps on the mats Thursday at UFC BJJ 10, somewhere in the back of her mind might be a memory that isn't her favorite.
But if that's the case, it'll also be one that helped get her where she is now. Kelly takes on Ana Lima to open UFC BJJ 10 (UFC BJJ YouTube). The 30-year-old former ONE Championship grappling titleholder said migrating to UFC BJJ is a crucial step for her.
When she was bullied in school, she took up jiu-jitsu and it was a life-changer. She even had a time in high school when a senior girl came into her classroom to fighter her, a junior, and it didn't end well for the bully.
"I had a bully like walk into my classroom and like try to fight me," Kelly told MMA Junkie Radio. "I just remember when she dropped her
bag, that's when I knew I needed to stand up from my desk and take her down – don't let her step to me. That's all I remember."
"… I just kept punching, elbowing her face in – and I didn't get suspended. She did for a day or two. She was a big girl. She was a really big girl. When I compete, I get little people syndrome – I was always the smallest, so I don't like bullies like that."
Check out Kelly's full interview in the video above ahead of her UFC BJJ debut.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC BJJ 10's Danielle Kelly turned to jiu-jitsu to combat bullying
