WNO 27 Results: Helena Crevar Captures WNO Featherweight Title
Just two women's bouts in play but with four big names with killer games there was plenty of good action to go around
Helena Crevar has another major promotion title to her name after Who’s Number One 27 where the New Wave standout took on WNO Featherweight Champion Elisabeth Clay and captured the belt with a rear naked choke. Crevar took advantage of an attempted leg lock by Clay in the third minute to move to the back and begin attacking the choke, getting the tap at 3:46.
Clay began the match by sitting to begin looking for entanglements but it was Crevar who seized the first initiative, grabbing a front head lock to begin her attacks. Clay stayed calm and continued trying to find a way onto Crevar’s legs, trying an entry and an inversion early in the match. After a Crevar pass Clay committed to the leg attack, and while she appeared to have a way in on a heel briefly, Crevar avoided the danger and pounced on the opportunity to progress to the exposed back and begin searching for the eventual finish.
“I’m really happy to have won the belt here on my fourth time at Who’s Number One,” Crevar said after the bout. “I’m 4-0 now, so I’m really happy to win this and hopefully defend this title and go for some more.”
Having previously lost to Clay earlier in her career, Crevar knew the match was a tough one but relied on her own growth to get the win.
“I knew Elisabeth was very good on the legs. Three years ago we fought and she submitted me with a kneebar. In those three years I’ve improved so much in my leg locks and also my passing, so I’m very confident in playing top right now, passing the guard and taking the back.”
Asked what’s next Crevar was open to any ranked opponent for a defense but also teased the intriguing possibility of a new division.
“[I’d definitely like to face] any of the ranked girls at 145. I also think Flo should add the 155 division and I’d be happy to go for the [WNO] 155 belt as well.”
With plenty of elite grapplers in the 155 range it would be an excellent time to bring another belt into the fold and the chance to see Crevar attempt to go Champ-Champ would certainly provide an intriguing first name for an inaugural match.
WNO Featherweight Title: Helena Crevar defeats Elisabeth Clay (C) by Rear Naked Choke (3:46)
Taylor Ellis-Hishaw Picks Up Another WNO Victory
In the night’s other women’s bout, two more of the brightest young stars in the sport faced off as Taylor Ellis-Hishaw took on Trinity Pun in a pairing of teenage standouts. The match was a tight affair, with Ellis-Hishaw controlling the positioning throughout the bout, not unusual for her matches, while Pun looked to use her dangerous play off her back to attack.
Both grapplers’ gameplans were clear early, with Ellis-Hishaw rebuffing a pair of Pun pull attempts while using the resulting top time to try to pass Pun’s tricky guard. After securing the judges’ favor in the first third of the bout, Ellis-Hishaw brought things back to the mats emphatically with a mat-crossing takedown, with Pun using the mat return to lock up a closed guard.
The guard was not enough for Pun to take the second portion of the bout and with Ellis-Hishaw still leading heading into the final minutes it was Pun’s turn to make a charge. After trying to lock down Ellis-Hishaw’s right arm Pun hit a sweep just past the six minute mark, but Ellis-Hishaw was wise to it, spinning back in to resume her top-position attacks without ceding any position. Another arm attack by Pun nearly got her guard passed as Ellis-Hishaw escaped, while a late leg entry at the death was not enough to overcome the lead Ellis-Hishaw had built up as the B-Team product saw the judges come down in her favor.
Taylor Ellis-Hishaw defeats Trinity Pun by Decision (9:00)
