Helena Crevar Stays Perfect at ONE Championship, Sets Her Sights on Gold and ADCC
The teenage grappling prodigy controlled a bigger opponent for ten straight minutes in Bangkok, and her next targets, a ONE title shot and the ADCC absolute bracket, are worth watching if you train BJJ or no-gi near Las Vegas.
Key takeaways
- Helena Crevar won a unanimous decision over Paige Ivette Clymer at ONE: The Inner Circle 22 on July 17, moving to 2-0 inside ONE Championship.
- The 19-year-old's overall competitive grappling record stands at 356-7, and she trains under John Danaher out of Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu.
- Crevar is eyeing a ONE Championship title shot while also planning to compete in the over-65kg division at ADCC 2026 after taking silver at ADCC 2024.
- Her performance is a clean study in mount-to-back control against a bigger, well-conditioned opponent, useful film for anyone rolling no-gi in Las Vegas.
Figures drawn from ONE Championship's official event coverage and BJJ Eastern Europe's match report on The Inner Circle 22.
A dominant ten minutes at Lumpinee Stadium
Helena Crevar returned to ONE Championship on July 17 for an openweight submission grappling match against Paige Ivette Clymer at The Inner Circle 22 inside Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium. Crevar wasted little time establishing top position, moving from mount into back control early and spending most of the ten-minute bout hunting a rear-naked choke.
Clymer, the larger of the two competitors, defended with real composure and never let the choke fully lock in, but she also never escaped bottom position long enough to threaten offense of her own. All three judges scored the match for Crevar, improving her ONE Championship record to a perfect 2-0 since her promotional debut submission win over Teshya Alo.
Who is Helena Crevar, and why the grappling world is paying attention
At just 19 years old, Crevar already carries an IBJJF No-Gi World Championship title and a competitive record reported at 356 wins against 7 losses across her tournament career, a reflection of how many matches elite kids-through-adult competitors log before they ever turn pro. She trains out of Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu under John Danaher, whose system has produced a run of dominant leg-lock and back-control specialists in both BJJ and MMA.
Outside of ONE Championship, Crevar also holds a Polaris lightweight title, defended earlier this year with a submission win, giving her active belts across two different professional grappling promotions at the same time. That kind of cross-promotion resume is rare for a competitor still a teenager.
What comes next: a title shot and the ADCC absolute bracket
After the win, Crevar made her intentions clear, telling ONE's broadcast team simply, "Love a title shot." With two straight wins inside the promotion and a growing highlight reel of back takes and choke attempts, that conversation is only going to get louder if she keeps finishing or dominating opponents at this pace.
The bigger story on the calendar, though, is ADCC 2026 in Krakow this September. Crevar medaled silver in the under-65kg division at ADCC 2024, and she is reportedly aiming to move up and compete in the over-65kg bracket this time around, a jump that would put her in the mix for the sport's most prestigious no-gi title against a deeper, heavier field.
The lesson for grapplers training near Las Vegas
Crevar's match is worth watching on replay for one specific reason: how she solved the size problem. Rather than trying to out-muscle a bigger opponent, she used mount-to-back transitions and body triangle control to neutralize Clymer's frame advantage for the full ten minutes. That is a positional problem every smaller grappler eventually runs into on the mats, whether in a tournament or just rolling on a Tuesday night.
If you are working no-gi or thinking about cross-training BJJ for MMA, footage like this is a good homework assignment before you try the same sequence live. Come try a class at Las Vegas Jiu Jitsu and our coaches can walk you through the back-take and control concepts Crevar leaned on to control a larger opponent for a full round.
5 things to know about Helena Crevar
A quick primer on the grappler climbing the ranks across three different promotions at once.
- IBJJF No-Gi World Champion: She holds an IBJJF No-Gi World title, one of the sport's most competitive amateur and pro crossover events.
- Trains under John Danaher: She competes out of Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu, part of the Danaher system known for detailed back-control and leg-lock game plans.
- Perfect start in ONE Championship: Her debut win over Teshya Alo at ONE Fight Night 39 and this decision over Paige Ivette Clymer have her at 2-0.
- Also holds a Polaris title: She retained her Polaris lightweight title earlier this year with a submission win, giving her belts in two promotions at once.
- ADCC silver medalist: She medaled silver in the under-65kg bracket at ADCC 2024, one of the sport's toughest weight classes.
- Eyeing the ADCC absolute jump: She is reportedly planning to move up to the over-65kg division for ADCC 2026 in Krakow this September.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at ONE: The Inner Circle 22?
On July 17, Helena Crevar beat Paige Ivette Clymer by unanimous decision in a ten-minute openweight submission grappling match at Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium, moving to 2-0 in ONE Championship.
How did Crevar control a bigger opponent for the full match?
She worked from mount into back control early and spent most of the bout hunting a rear-naked choke, using position and a body triangle rather than trying to overpower Clymer's size.
Is Helena Crevar competing at ADCC 2026?
She is reportedly planning to compete in the over-65kg division at ADCC 2026 in Krakow this September, after winning silver in the under-65kg bracket at ADCC 2024.
Where can I learn the back-control concepts Crevar used?
Any solid no-gi or MMA-focused BJJ program teaches mount-to-back transitions and body triangle control. Come try a class at Las Vegas Jiu Jitsu and we will walk you through it on the mats.