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Helena Crevar Wins By Decision Over Paige Ivette Clymer at ONE's The Inner Circle 22

Helena Crevar took Paige Ivette Clymer the full 10 minutes at The Inner Circle 22 in Bangkok, controlling the action from mount to the back but unable to close the show, while Clymer's escapes offered a preview of what her Legion training brings to a big stage.

BJJ Gyms · 2026-07-18 · 6 min read

Reviewed by BJJ Gyms · Updated 2026-07-27

Key takeaways

  • Helena Crevar defeated Paige Ivette Clymer by unanimous decision at The Inner Circle 22, improving her record while stretching the fight to the full 10-minute limit.
  • Crevar advanced to mount and then back control with a body triangle, hunting a rear naked choke, but Clymer defended her neck and rode out the period.
  • The result confirms the pre-match scouting report: Crevar's Danaher-style control game versus Clymer's scrambling defense from Legion American Jiu Jitsu.
  • Both athletes have ADCC pedigree, and this match is a useful data point heading into September's ADCC World Championship in Krakow.
CREVAR DEF. CLYMER
The Inner Circle 22 By the Numbers
10 min
Full length of the openweight submission grappling match
3-0
Judges' scorecards, all favoring Crevar
356-7
Helena Crevar's reported career grappling record after this win

Sources: ONE Championship, July 2026.

How the Match Played Out

Helena Crevar wasted little time setting the tone once the match began, working to mount and then hunting to isolate an arm before Paige Ivette Clymer scrambled toward her back. Rather than let the escape stand, Crevar rode the transition, locking in a body triangle and pulling Clymer upright as she searched for a finish.

From there the match became a defensive clinic from Clymer. She kept both hands tucked tight against her own neck, denying Crevar the space needed to sink a fight-ending choke, and repeatedly rolled from side to side to relieve pressure. It was not enough to escape, but it was enough to survive the full 10 minutes and force the outcome to the judges' scorecards, where all three sided with Crevar for the unanimous decision.

What This Says About Two Different Training Systems

Coming into this match, the storyline was always going to be about contrasting styles as much as the result itself. Crevar trains under John Danaher at Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu, and her performance here was a textbook example of that system in action: patient positional advancement, a preference for the back over forcing a scramble, and total comfort riding out a defensive opponent rather than rushing a finish.

Clymer, who trains under Keenan Cornelius at Legion American Jiu Jitsu and won the 2026 ADCC West Coast Trials to reach this stage, showed exactly the kind of scrambling instincts and defensive awareness that make Legion-trained grapplers difficult to finish even from bad positions. She never found her preferred pressure-passing offense, but her survival instincts held up under real pressure from one of the sport's most dangerous back-control specialists.

Why a Decision Result Still Matters for Grappling Fans

Not every high-level grappling match ends in a tap, and this one is a reminder that a decision result can still carry plenty of technical information. Crevar's dominance in position without a finish tells you her opponent's defensive fundamentals were sound even under duress, while Clymer's inability to generate her own offense suggests she still has work to do against elite back-control players before her next major trial.

For fans trying to learn from matches like this rather than just watch them, the lesson is that defense wins matches even when it does not win by submission. Studying how Clymer protected her neck and reset her hips over and over is arguably more useful for a developing grappler than watching a highlight-reel finish.

From Bangkok to Your Local Mats

Matches like this one are exactly why grappling has grown into appointment viewing rather than a niche hobby. If watching Crevar's back-control game or Clymer's scrambling defense has you wanting to feel it for yourself, the good news is you do not need to be a teenage prodigy or train under a Danaher-level coach to start building those same skills.

Use the gym finder at BJJGyms.org to track down a BJJ or no-gi academy near you, including 10th Planet locations, which build their entire no-gi curriculum around the same leg entanglement and scramble concepts on display here. Most gyms will let you try a class for free before you commit to anything.

5 Things to Watch For If You Rewatch This Match

A decision result rewards a closer look. Here is what stands out on review.

  1. The Mount-to-Back Transition: Crevar's move from mount to back control happened fast and without wasted motion, a hallmark of the Danaher system's positional hierarchy.
  2. Clymer's Hand Placement: Keeping both hands tight to her own neck the entire time she was in danger is a small detail that made a big difference in her survival.
  3. The Body Triangle Control: Crevar's body triangle let her control Clymer's hips even while chasing the choke, a detail worth studying for anyone working back attacks.
  4. Repeated Rolling Escapes: Clymer's side-to-side rolling under pressure is a defensive habit that translates directly to gym sparring at any level.
  5. The Judges' Criteria in a No-Finish Match: Watching how dominant position and control time outweighed a lack of finish is a useful lesson in how these matches are actually scored.

BJJ Gyms is an independent directory, not a gym. We feature 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu as our recommended no-gi system. Always take a free trial and vet any academy yourself before committing.

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Questions

Common Questions

Helena Crevar won by unanimous decision after a full 10-minute openweight submission grappling match at The Inner Circle 22.

No. Crevar came close with a rear naked choke attempt from back control, but Clymer defended long enough to hear the final bell.

Crevar trains under John Danaher at Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu in Austin, a program known for its systematic approach to leg entanglements and back control.

Use the gym finder at BJJGyms.org to find a BJJ or no-gi academy near you, including 10th Planet locations. Most gyms offer a free first class.