TheGrappl Feature: Helena Crevar — History at 18

She’s 18. She’s an ADCC medalist. She’s tapped out elite black belts. And now? She’s officially John Danaher’s first female black belt.

On June 2, 2025, Helena Crevar was promoted to black belt by Danaher, following her win at the IBJJF World Championship at brown belt. The announcement confirmed what most of the grappling world already knew: Helena isn’t just the future — she’s the now.

🧠 The Quote That Says It All

In her own words, Helena shared:

There’s no bravado here. No victory lap. Just raw gratitude and a quiet recognition of the gravity of the moment. For a grappler who has already conquered so much, she remains grounded — a trait that sets apart legends from mere winners.

📈 From Juvenile Phenom to Black Belt Pioneer

• Age 8: Begins training BJJ.

• Age 14–16: Dominates juvenile IBJJF circuit.

• Age 17:

  • Wins ADCC West Coast Trials

  • Becomes youngest ADCC World Championship finalist ever

  • Racks up wins at WNO, FPI, and Polaris

• Age 18:

  • Wins IBJJF Brown Belt Worlds

  • Promoted to black belt by Danaher

🏆 Titles and Notable Wins (Before Black Belt)

• 🥇 IBJJF 2025 Brown Belt World Champion

• 🥇 IBJJF 2025 Brown Belt Pan Champion

• 🥇 2024 ADCC West Coast Trials Winner

• 🥈 2024 ADCC World Championship Silver Medalist

• 🥇 3x UFC Fight Pass Invitational Champion

• 🥇 4x WNO Champion (including submission win over Elisabeth Clay)

• 🥇 3x Polaris Champion

She’s also defeated top-tier names such as Amy Campo, Adele Fornarino, Giovanna Jara, and Elisabeth Clay — often before she was even a brown belt.

👑 Comparing Helena at 18 to the Greats

To fully appreciate Helena’s trajectory, here’s how she compares to some of BJJ’s most revered women at a similar age:

Mackenzie Dern

• Black belt at 19

• By age 18: Multiple juvenile and adult division wins, but no ADCC medals yet

• First black belt world title: Age 20
  🔍 Helena already has more high-level wins and an ADCC silver

Beatriz Mesquita

• Black belt at 20

• By age 18: IBJJF blue/purple belt titles

• First major adult title: Around 19–20
  🔍 Helena has competed against and beaten black belt world champs before 18

Kyra Gracie

• Black belt at 21

• By age 18: Promising competitor but had not yet won black belt titles
  🔍 Helena’s resume is heavier by every modern metric

Ffion Davies

• Black belt at 23

• By age 18: Hadn’t yet transitioned fully from judo to BJJ
  🔍 Helena is already a fixture of elite competition Ffion didn’t enter until her 20s

🧠 Danaher’s Standard, Met

Being promoted by John Danaher means more than hitting technical milestones — it means demonstrating a deep conceptual understanding of the sport. Danaher doesn’t give belts lightly. In fact, in over three decades, Helena is the first woman to be recognized at this level by him.

For context: Danaher’s other black belts include Gordon Ryan, Garry Tonon, Nicky Ryan, Oliver Taza — all of whom became leaders in modern grappling. Now Helena joins their ranks, possibly with more accolades at the time of promotion than any of them.

🔮 What’s Next?

• A run at ADCC East Coast Trials 2025

• Her black belt debut at IBJJF adult divisions

• More high-profile superfights (WNO, Polaris, FPI)

• A potential long-term rivalry with reigning black belt champs like Ffion Davies or Mayssa Bastos

There’s also speculation that she could become the youngest ADCC champion ever — a real possibility based on her 2024 finals appearance.

📌 TL;DR

• Helena Crevar is now a black belt under John Danaher — his first female

• At just 18, she’s already an ADCC medalist, IBJJF brown belt world champ, and WNO headliner

• She compares favorably to legends like Mackenzie Dern, Beatriz Mesquita, and Kyra Gracie at the same age

• Her rise is not hype — it’s happening