Teenage Prodigy Eyes ONE World Title After Emphatic Debut Submission

Eighteen-year-old Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu prodigy Helena Crevar enjoyed a flawless promotional debut, as she submitted longtime rival Teshya Noelani Alo via Estima Lock just 100 seconds into their openweight submission grappling match at ONE Fight Night 39 last weekend.

Helena Crevar, the 2025 IBJJF World Champion who trains at Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu under John Danaher, discussed her tactical approach of pulling guard immediately before capitalizing on defensive opportunities to secure the lightning-fast submission finish.

The teenage sensation was thrilled with the quick win at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium and certainly lived up to the hype in her first ONE Championship appearance, but she also noticed some room for improvement.

Helena Crevar Details Lightning-Fast Finishing Sequence

Analyzing her performance, Helena Crevar explained her immediate guard-pulling strategy. The teen star was confident that securing top position or leg entanglements would produce finishing opportunities. The Austin, Texas-based resident also detailed how she capitalized on Alo’s aggressive kneebar attempt to transition seamlessly into the Estima Lock.

“She is very quick, very aggressive, but I knew that if I got either on top or into the legs that I could finish her, and that’s pretty much what I did,” Helena Crevar said. “Ankle locks are some of my favorite submissions, so if I can get on top, then that’s pretty much the one that I look to attack first, and as soon as I got it, it popped really quickly. So, I knew that it was in. It was just a matter of would she tap or not, but after the second pop, she
tapped pretty, pretty quickly.”

The performance dramatically contrasts with their first encounter nearly three years ago during their colored belt days, when Helena Crevar edged the Hawaiian by penalty in a much closer contest. The rapid evolution from narrow penalty victory to dominant 100-second submission win showcases the accelerated development that defines generational talents competing at the sport’s highest levels.

Helena Crevar: Room for Improvement

Despite the emphatic victory, Helena Crevar maintained perspective about her performance while expressing satisfaction with the quick submission. The Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu product flashed the self-critical mindset that drives continuous improvement.

“I’ll probably give maybe a seven because I know that I could always do better. And there could be some things that I could adjust. But it’s still a pretty good performance, quick submission, and just happy,” she said.

That constant desire to improve has been key to her success. Aside from the 2025 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship, her trophy case is filled with numerous accolades including the Polaris 70-Kilogram Title.

The Teen Will Be Back Soon

Looking beyond her promotional debut success, the teenage sensation expressed her willingness to face any available opponents at 155 pounds or in the openweight category. She also called for a chance to compete for a ONE Championship belt.

Though Helena Crevar has a few budding super-fights scheduled in the coming weeks, she expects to be back in a ONE Championship ring soon.

“I’m hoping to be back at least two to three times a year here. So, probably the next few months again,” the teen said.