On July 17, 2026, two of America's most talked-about young grapplers meet in Bangkok when Helena Crevar and Paige Ivette Clymer face off in a 10-minute openweight submission match that pits contrasting training pedigrees against each other.
Reviewed by BJJ Gyms · Updated 2026-07-27
Sources: ONE Championship, July 2026.
At just 19 years old, Helena Crevar has already built a resume that most grapplers twice her age would envy. She holds a 2025 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship and has been described as the youngest athlete ever to reach an ADCC podium, a tournament widely considered the toughest submission grappling event in the world.
Crevar trains at Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu in Austin under John Danaher, one of the sport's most respected instructors and a coach known for a systematic approach built around leg entanglements, back control, and positional hierarchies. Her game leans heavily on foot locks and pressure passing, the hallmarks of the Danaher system, and her ability to apply those concepts at a high level despite her age is a big reason she is already a fixture in major superfight cards.
Paige Ivette Clymer represents a different lineage in American no-gi grappling. Based out of San Diego, she trains under Keenan Cornelius at Legion American Jiu Jitsu, earning her black belt in 2024 before quickly establishing herself as a serious competitor on the regional and national circuit.
Clymer punched her ticket to this stage by winning the 2026 ADCC West Coast Trials, a qualifying event that tests competitors against a deep, region-specific field. Her style is built around aggressive pressure passing and intricate guard retention, with sharp heel hook entries when scrambles open up, a game that reflects Cornelius's emphasis on guard-based problem solving and positional control.
What makes this match compelling beyond the two athletes' individual credentials is the stylistic contrast it sets up. Crevar's Danaher-influenced game tends to prioritize methodical position advancement toward the back or a leg entanglement, favoring patience and control over forcing a scramble. Clymer's Legion background, by contrast, is built more around active guard work and creating chaos in exchanges where her pressure passing and heel hook timing can take over.
A 10-minute openweight format rewards whichever athlete can impose their preferred rhythm on the match. If Crevar can establish her control-based game early, the match may look like a slow squeeze. If Clymer can keep the action moving and force scrambles, her guard work and leg attacks have a real chance to produce a fast finish. Either outcome would tell you something real about how these two systems hold up against each other.
Both Crevar and Clymer arrive with legitimate ADCC pedigree, which means this match functions as a preview of the kind of matchups fans can expect at September's ADCC World Championship in Krakow. Watching two rising competitors from different training backgrounds test their systems against each other is one of the best ways to understand what actually separates elite grappling styles beyond just highlight reel finishes.
If a match like this has you interested in trying grappling yourself, the good news is that you do not need to be 19 years old or training under a Danaher-caliber coach to start. Use the gym finder at BJJGyms.org to find a BJJ or no-gi academy near you, including 10th Planet locations that teach a leg lock and scramble-heavy no-gi curriculum similar in spirit to what you will see in this match. Most gyms offer a free introductory class to get you started.
This is not a typical superfight between two established veterans. Here is why it is worth your attention anyway.
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.
The Inner Circle is a submission grappling event series run by ONE Championship, streamed exclusively for members through the promotion's platform and featuring some of the top no-gi competitors in the world.
John Danaher is a highly regarded BJJ coach known for a systematic approach to grappling built around leg entanglements, back control, and positional hierarchies, and he coaches Helena Crevar at Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu.
Keenan Cornelius is a BJJ black belt and coach at Legion American Jiu Jitsu, known for an active, guard-based approach to grappling that emphasizes pressure passing and technical guard retention.
Use the gym finder at BJJGyms.org to locate a BJJ or no-gi academy near you. Most gyms offer a free introductory class, and 10th Planet affiliates in particular teach a no-gi system with a heavy emphasis on leg locks and scrambles.