‘I Definitely Believe In My Skills’ – 18-Year-Old Prodigy Helena Crevar Ready To Shine At ONE Fight Night 39
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu sensation Helena Crevar can’t wait to dazzle in front of a global audience with her prodigious skills at ONE Fight Night 39: Rambolek vs. Dayakaev on Prime Video.
The 18-year-old phenom makes her highly anticipated promotional debut against Hawaiian powerhouse Teshya Noelani Alo in a bantamweight submission grappling showdown on Friday, January 23. The 10-minute bout streams live from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium in U.S. primetime.
Despite her youth, Crevar has already accumulated a mountain of experience in BJJ’s competitive circles. In fact, this won’t be her first rodeo with Alo.
The pair first met during their colored belt days at a no-gi tournament, where the Las Vegas native showcased an intricate guard game to claim victory by a penalty.
Years later, fate has orchestrated a second meeting – this time, it’s in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
Crevar shared:
“We competed once. I believe it was three years ago, so it was before I even moved to Texas. It was a pretty close match.
“I won the match by a penalty against her, but it was also a much shorter match, I believe, five or six minutes. So, I’m sure both of us have improved a lot since then. A lot has changed.”
While she won their first encounter, Alo left a lasting impression on the Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu standout.
The Hawaiian’s top-heavy game, rooted in a decorated wrestling and judo background, proved difficult to navigate.
With Alo hungry for redemption, Crevar knows she can’t afford any lapses in their rematch:
“She does have a really good stand-up game. And from the match I had with her, she had pretty good pressure back then.
“Her takedowns are really good, and I’m sure she has some good submissions in there, too. So, I expect her to be an overall, well-rounded fighter.”
Despite Alo’s formidable skill set, Crevar has always trusted her own abilities above all else.
That confidence won’t waver in her ONE Championship debut, where she aims to show exactly why she’s quickly becoming the face of women’s submission grappling. A decisive finish against her old rival would only accelerate that rise.
Crevar, the youngest podium finisher in ADCC history, declared:
“I expect a tough match, both of us going in and trying to attack each other. I definitely believe in my skills the most, so I’m sure that I could finish the match with a submission.”
Crevar Won’t Back Down From Alo’s Wrestling Pressure
Helena Crevar understands she faces a unique challenge in Teshya Noelani Alo, whose powerful takedowns and explosive throws offer constant danger.
The Island Jiu-Jitsu representative captured four high school state wrestling titles, a FILA Cadet World Championship, and multiple national titles as a judoka at the youth level.
However, Crevar’s approach couldn’t be more different. The Texas-based BJJ ace typically prefers to pull guard, hunting for sweeps or submissions off her back.
Knowing the challenge ahead, Crevar has sharpened her game under coaches Gordon Ryan and John Danaher at Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu in Austin, Texas.
Both living legends are known for blending wrestling and judo techniques into their systems, so the teen star has picked up some new tricks in recent months.
Against the Hawaiian powerhouse, Crevar plans to meet fire with fire:
“I have been working a lot on improving my takedowns these past couple of years because before I moved to Texas, I really didn’t do any stand-up.
“But recently, I have been favoring getting to a front headlock and putting [opponents] down from there, or getting to a rear body lock and taking the back. I have also been experimenting with some single legs.”
Ultimately, Crevar will always lean into her own style – fundamentally sound grappling mixed with modern innovation.
The teenager will hunt for the finish for the full 10 minutes, and if the opportunity presents itself, she won’t hesitate to unleash techniques she’s been perfecting in the training room.
On January 23, Crevar aims to make a statement against Alo that announces her arrival on submission grappling’s biggest stage.
She said:
“The past couple of years, I have been focusing a lot on improving my leg locks. So, I’d say some of those have been my favorites. But always since I started jiu-jitsu, I always liked chokes, specifically the rear-naked choke.
“I have some submissions that I have been working on, trying out in training. I haven’t named any of them yet or solidified them, but I’m always working on new things.”
