After bagging the ADCC Worlds at just 17, Helena Crevar is now ready to make her ONE Championship debut at ONE Fight Night 39. She will make her debut in the bantamweight division against Hawaiian prodigy Teshya Noelani Alo on Friday, January 23. While the 18-year-old is a big name in the Jiu-Jitsu scene, she is now poised to write a new chapter in women’s BJJ.

Just before making her debut, she has her focus set on establishing herself in One Championship before chasing any title. With so much going on in her professional life, Crevar still manages to find a balance between her personal and professional life.

Helena Crevar plans to elevate a division in One Championship

“I think so far ONE Championship has only had lighter weight divisions, but I think there are a lot of good matches that could happen at bantamweight,” she told EssentiallySports, opening up on her vision. “So I’m just super excited to be the first one to get the opportunity to compete there and really make that division stand out as well.”

Wrestling and judo standout from Honolulu, Hawaii, Teshya Noelani Alo brings the challenge that Crevar is looking for. Also set to make her debut in ONE Championship this year, the 28-year-old commands an exceptional hold on wrestling and grappling principles, proving a challenge as both ladies push for the gold. However, Crevar isn’t entirely unfamiliar with Alo.

While training under John Danaher at Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu, Crevar first met Alo during their colored belt days in a no-gi tournament. While Crevar ultimately won on their first encounter via penalty, with her guarding skills, Alo put up an equally impressive fight.

Crevar further shared, “I know she’s a really tough wrestler with a good stand-up game, but I know that we’re both going to push the pace and really bring an exciting match for everyone.” Regardless of the outcome, we can expect a seat-gripping show of excellence from both ladies who are legends in their own right.

Speaking of Crevar, extraordinary would be an understatement to describe her jiu-jitsu calibre. Instead, her titles and wins against the likes of Sarah Galvao and Elisabeth Clay are what do the talking. However, at just 18, she’s far from done reaching new heights in her career.

Helena Crevar is 18 and still far from the ceiling

What has kept her pushing through the highest of BJJ honors is her refusal to settle for her latest achievements. Instead, she treats each step as a mere milestone in her climb to the world’s absolute best. While already a black belt in BJJ and one of the youngest champions at the black belt level, Creval still believes she hasn’t reached her full potential yet.

“I feel like I’m really improving all the time, every day in training, experimenting with things and finding new things to do and using different techniques. I know I probably haven’t even reached half of my potential yet, so I know I can improve so much more,” she shared. In fact, it’s what keeps jiu-jitsu interesting for the 18-year-old prodigy, despite being invested in this sport for nearly a decade.

While Crevar graduated from school, the jiu-jitsu prodigy was homeschooled from a young age, helping her balance her studies alongside BJJ training. She admittedly trains 3-4 hours daily, which allows her to maintain her threshold as an elite athlete. On the other hand, she still enjoys hobbies and life as a normal teenager. She spends her free time with her pets (2 birds and 2 cats!)

While she is still in her teenage years, Crevar proves that discipline and balance can coexist even at the highest level of competition. As her One Championship debut nears, Crevar is ready to rewrite women’s BJJ.