Helena Crevar Welcomes Grappling Superfights Against MMA Stars
The 19-year-old grappling ace says she would welcome crossover matches against some of the biggest names in MMA.
At only 19 years old, Helena Crevar has already established herself as one of the biggest names in submission grappling. Currently ranked No. 1 pound-for-pound in the women's rankings, the American has already won an IBJJF World Championship and finished runner-up at ADCC after collecting multiple titles at the colored belt level. Now, it seems Crevar is looking for new challenges as she reveals she is open to facing some of the biggest stars from MMA in future grappling superfights.
Helena Crevar Welcomes Crossover Matches
Even though Crevar is still focused on building her own legacy in grappling, she believes crossover matches against elite MMA fighters could be a great opportunity for both sports. According to the American, those bouts would not only be exciting from a competitive standpoint, but would also attract even more attention to submission grappling.
Speaking to MMA Fighting, Crevar revealed she would welcome the opportunity to compete against some of the biggest names in women's MMA.
"Any of the MMA fighters that are very popular would be great matches," Crevar began. "Because if they're very popular in MMA, that combination would be really interesting to come into a jiu-jitsu match and then have a match with them. No one in particular but I think some of those would be really nice to compete in. [...] Any of those would be super fun. Any of the current or any of the best female MMA fighters would be cool. For future superfights, I think that would be really nice."
Crevar didn't mention any specific opponent, but several accomplished female MMA fighters have strong grappling credentials, including Mackenzie Dern, Kayla Harrison and Virna Jandiroba. A potential crossover bout against any of those names would likely attract significant attention from both MMA and grappling fans.
Helena Crevar: One of the Biggest Names in Grappling
Although Crevar is still at a young age and in the beginning of her career as a black belt, she has already come a long way competing at the colored belt level. The first woman to earn a black belt under renowned coach John Danaher, Crevar also trains alongside multiple-time grappling champion Gordon Ryan. Despite already achieving remarkable success at such a young age, the American guaranteed she remains motivated to keep challenging herself.
"For me it's motivation. Because I did earn the No. 1 pound-for-pound spot last August," Crevar said. "Being at the top at such a young age, it's really motivating and it makes me want to hold onto that No. 1 spot and keep putting my name out there and keep growing. Because I am so young and I have so many years ahead of me. It motivates me to take on all those challenges and make the most out of them."
Still undefeated in 2026, Crevar added another victory to her record this Friday when she defeated Paige Ivette by unanimous decision at ONE Championship. With another impressive performance under her belt, the American continues to strengthen her position as one of the brightest young stars in submission grappling.
