Helena Crevar’s highly anticipated ONE Championship grappling debut has been overshadowed by a weigh in controversy after she weighed in at 161.6lbs, 24lbs heavier than opponent Teshya Noelani Alo, forcing their originally scheduled bantamweight bout into an openweight matchup.
The contest was initially announced as a bantamweight grappling match, a division capped at 145 lbs (65.8 kg) under ONE Championship’s rules. While bantamweight is traditionally 135 lbs (61.2 kg) in MMA, ONE adjusted its weight classes upward years ago following weight cutting safety reforms. Even under these more forgiving limits, Crevar came in far above the contracted range.
Footage circulating on X, originally reported by the Bangkok Post, shows Crevar appearing visibly bloated during weigh ins at 161.6 lbs (73.3 kg) while Alo registered 137.8 lbs (62.5 kg).
Despite this, the public narrative from ONE appeared to avoid framing the situation as a weight miss, instead presenting it as a mutually agreed rule change.
ONE Championship official Nick Atkin confirmed the late adjustment.
“Helena Crevar’s highly anticipated ONE Championship debut will now go ahead at openweight after she and opponent Teshya Noelani Alo agreed to a late switch”
Crevar passed hydration on her second attempt but weighed in significantly heavier, 24 lbs (10.9 kg), than Alo. The adjustment was earlier confirmed with Crevar appearing unlikely to make the bantamweight limit or an acceptable catchweight in Bangkok.
Crevar did not make bantamweight and the bout only proceeded because Alo accepted a late and potentially disadvantageous size discrepancy. The optics raise concerns about competitive fairness. A 24 lbs (10.9 kg) gap is substantial in grappling particularly when the smaller athlete had prepared for a contracted division. Alo’s acceptance of the contest has prompted questions about whether she felt pressured to agree in order to keep the match intact.
Adding to the tension, Crevar had recently downplayed weight concerns in interviews.
“I typically don’t need to cut much weight, usually dropping only two or three lbs through water manipulation.”
Just hours before weigh ins, she also told fans on Instagram:
“I usually have a very clean diet, and I change things up a lot before competitions. A mixture of meat, protein, egg whites and fish and potatoes.”
Those statements now sit uncomfortably alongside the reality of her weigh in result.
Crevar, a John Danaher black belt, signed with ONE Championship in July 2025 after describing it as offering a stronger deal than alternatives such as UFC BJJ. She emphasized that ONE’s non exclusive contract allows her to continue competing across multiple promotions.
Friday’s match against Alo also carries history. The two last competed three years ago in what Crevar described as a close contest.
“I’m sure she’s very tough. We had a match like three years ago and it was a pretty close match. I’m sure we both improved from three years ago up until now.”
That competitive narrative, however, risks being overshadowed by the weight disparity and last minute rule shift. Whether intentional or not, the situation raises uncomfortable questions about weight enforcement, promotional transparency and athlete leverage inside ONE’s grappling ecosystem.
