‘Love A Title Shot’ – Helena Crevar Eyes ONE Championship Gold After Dominant Win At The Inner Circle 22

Helena Crevar strengthened her case for a shot at ONE Championship gold with another commanding performance at The Inner Circle 22.

The 19-year-old American controlled Paige Ivette Clymer for virtually the entirety of their 10-minute openweight submission grappling contest on Friday, July 17, earning a unanimous decision inside Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.

Widely considered the world’s top pound-for-pound women’s grappler, the IBJJF No-Gi World Champion quickly secured the mount before taking the back of her larger opponent. Although Clymer’s disciplined defense prevented her from finding the finish, the New Wave Jiu-Jitsu representative was pleased with the authority she displayed in her second promotional appearance.

She said:

“I feel great. I was able to get to the back pretty quickly, or mount first, within 15 seconds, so I’m very happy about that.

“After that, I had the back and was trying to finish the submission. I wasn’t able to get it, but I won a very dominant decision, so I’m happy with that too.”

Crevar arrived in Bangkok determined to build on the momentum from her spectacular ONE Championship debut six months earlier.

In that first appearance, the teenage phenom needed only 100 seconds to submit Teshya Noelani Alo with an Estima Lock. Clymer presented a much different challenge as an accomplished black belt with a noticeable size and strength advantage.

Still, Crevar immediately imposed her preferred game. She advanced to mount within the opening seconds, transitioned to Clymer’s back, and secured a tight body triangle that allowed her to spend much of the match searching for a rear-naked choke.

She said:

“I was definitely looking to take the back during the match and try to finish with a choke. So I’m happy that I was able to be in that position.”

Clymer repeatedly protected her neck, kept her limbs tight, and remained composed despite being trapped in dangerous positions. Whenever the promotional newcomer attempted to escape, Crevar adjusted her control and resumed attacking.

The John Danaher black belt expected exactly that sort of resistance. Having accepted an openweight contest against a naturally larger athlete, she prepared for a physically stronger and defensively sound opponent rather than assuming her technical credentials would guarantee an early submission.

Crevar ultimately praised Clymer for surviving the full contest, but she was equally pleased that she continued searching for the finish until the final bell.

She said:

“I was expecting her to be strong and have good defense. I never underestimate my opponents, so I expected her to be as strong as possible.

“She had very good defenses against the submissions and kept everything really tight. But I was still trying to attack until the end. She’s definitely a great opponent. I want to thank her for the match.”

Crevar Believes ONE World Title Opportunity Is Within Reach

Her victory over Paige Ivette Clymer improved Helena Crevar’s remarkable career record to 356-7, moved her to 2-0 in ONE Championship, and extended an impressive no-gi run that has established her as one of submission grappling’s brightest young stars.

More importantly, the performance proved she could dictate every phase of a match against a naturally bigger opponent. The American maintained positional dominance throughout and generated virtually all of the meaningful submission threats.

That showing only strengthened Crevar’s belief that she belongs among ONE’s World Title contenders.

She said:

“I’m the #1 pound-for-pound female athlete in the world, and I’ve been undefeated for over a year now in no-gi. So I definitely want to keep that as long as possible.

“This fight showed that I can even move up a weight class and still win matches and dominate. So I’m very happy to continue as the #1 ranked athlete.”

After just two appearances into her ONE tenure, Crevar already believes she has done enough to earn a shot at promotional gold. While she has no preference regarding who stands across from her next, her destination is clear.

She concluded:

“This is my second fight in ONE, so I’d definitely love a title shot, probably in my next fight or the one after, whenever it’s possible.

“No one in particular. Anyone at 155 pounds or at openweight, I’d be happy to face. I’d love to become a ONE Championship World Champion.”