Suzie Pepe, a graduate of Penn State Abington, was recently featured in an article by The Philadelphia Inquirer for her relationship to Danielle Kelly, an up-and-coming jiu-jitsu fighter whose bout will be shown on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, October 6.

Pepe, an Army veteran, has known Kelly for some time and has “been in her corner from a distance from the start,” according to the article. They bonded during her overnight shifts at Wawa, during which Kelly would “chat and keep her company.”

Kelly will compete on the main card of ONE Fight Night 14 at 8:00pm against ONE world champion Jessa Khan (18-11-0).

“She’s timid, but I don’t think it hinders her at all,” Pepe said. “I think it makes her a better fighter and makes her fights more interesting.”

The article notes Kelly’s positive influence on her female counterparts.

“The art of her fighting moves people of any age,” Pepe said. “Little girls look up to her, and that’s big for her.”

“My wish for her is that she sees herself how I see her,” Pepe said. “I’ve always been mama. But I always tell her, ‘You’re the mama today; you’re gonna kick [butt].’ … When she fought [Khan] before, she was unprepared. But now, I believe [Khan] is going to be surprised when Danielle takes the belt from her.”

For the full article, you can click here.

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Photo: OneFC.com