5 Things To Know About Paige Ivette Clymer Ahead Of Her ONE Debut At The Inner Circle 22
Years of relentless dedication have carried Paige Ivette Clymer from San Diego’s ultra-competitive grappling scene straight to the biggest stage of her career.
The American black-belt standout will make her ONE Championship debut against fellow phenom Helena Crevar in a high-stakes 10-minute openweight submission grappling showcase at The Inner Circle 22. The blockbuster card streams live on Friday, July 17, from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium, exclusively for members at live.onefc.com.
The 33-year-old arrives with world-class credentials and serious momentum, but her identity extends far beyond gold medals. The Legion American Jiu Jitsu representative is a lifelong athlete, dedicated instructor, horseback rider, film enthusiast, and devoted animal lover.
Before she enters the ring, here are five things to know about the fascinating promotional newcomer.
#1 She Was An Athlete Long Before Finding Jiu-Jitsu
Clymer’s athletic life did not begin when she first stepped onto the mats. The San Diego native explored water polo and softball while growing up before later turning her attention to competitive bodybuilding. By the age of 21, she had also spent several years working in local gyms as a personal trainer, helping others aggressively pursue their fitness goals.
That varied background gave Clymer a powerful physical foundation long before she discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Water polo demanded immense endurance, elite coordination, and comfort in physically taxing situations, while bodybuilding taught her about structural strength, proper recovery, and the discipline required to improve over time.
Those exact qualities remain highly evident in her grappling style today, where she masterfully combines relentless physical pressure with a punishing pace designed to steadily wear down even the most technically gifted opponents.
#2 She Chose Pure Grappling Over An MMA Career
When Clymer originally began training jiu-jitsu in 2016, she viewed the sport as preparation for a future in mixed martial arts. She trained exclusively in no-gi jiu-jitsu because she wanted to develop the heavy ground-and-pound and transitional skills required for the all-encompassing sport.
However, as she spent more time learning the intricacies of submissions and testing herself in local tournaments, her ambitions began to shift. Clymer realized that pure grappling suited her puzzle-solving mindset far better than fighting in MMA, and she made the bold choice to dedicate herself fully to the mats.
That decision quickly paid off. She earned her purple belt by the end of 2018 and began teaching youth classes while competing across the United States. Clymer later captured the 2019 SOGI Women’s Absolute Championship and the 2021 IBJJF No-Gi World Title at purple belt before receiving her black belt in May 2024.
#3 She Trades The Training Room For Horseback Riding
Away from the intense atmosphere of the gym, Clymer regularly trades the training room for the saddle. The Legion American Jiu Jitsu standout loves riding horses — a passion proudly reflected in the cowboy hat she wears in her social media profile picture. The outdoor activity provides a dramatic, therapeutic change of pace from the daily grind of training and competing at the highest tier.
Horseback riding is certainly not a passing interest, either. Clymer has seamlessly incorporated time in the saddle into her weekly routine even while preparing for major grappling contests, beautifully balancing demanding sparring sessions with opportunities to ride around San Diego’s scenic trails.
The hobby reveals a more relaxed side to the aggressive pressure passer. When she is not actively hunting submissions or preparing for another tournament, Clymer loves to leave the enclosed gym environment behind to connect with nature.
#4 Her Pets Are Named After Kill Bill Characters
Clymer’s profound love for cinema has also inspired the unique names of the animals sharing her home. In a recent social media post, she introduced Beatrix Kiddo, a standard poodle named after the iconic central character in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill film series. The dog also fittingly carries the nicknames “The Black Mamba” and “The Bride.”
Beatrix joined another movie-inspired pet in the household. Three years earlier, Clymer rescued a stray cat from a local dumpster. Her husband, fellow Legion black belt Sloan Clymer, aptly named the feline O-Ren Ishii — after Beatrix Kiddo’s sword-wielding rival in Kill Bill: Volume 1.
The fictional characters famously clash on screen, and Clymer has hilariously joked that their animal namesakes regularly continue the rivalry by playfully battling each other around the house. The heartwarming story combines her film fandom with the deeply caring side that led her to rescue both animals.
#5 She Finally Conquered The ADCC Trials
Clymer’s rightful place among the world’s leading grapplers was earned through years of absolute persistence. She reached the final of the grueling ADCC West Coast Trials in 2022 but narrowly fell short against Amy Campo, who went on to become the ADCC World Champion later that year.
Rather than letting the setback deter her, Clymer returned to the prestigious qualifying event and completely finished the mission.
She won the women’s +65-kilogram division at the ADCC West Coast Trials in dominant fashion, recording two spectacular submissions and a clean decision victory on her way to gold. The massive breakthrough officially secured her place at the upcoming ADCC World Championships and provided another major milestone in her rapidly developing black-belt career.
Clymer now carries that immense momentum straight into ONE Championship, where a victory over Crevar would immediately establish her as an undeniable force in the promotion’s submission grappling ranks.
