For Teshya Noelani Alo, reaching ONE Championship was not the product of a single breakthrough.
It was the culmination of a lifetime layered with wrestling, judo, and eventually Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
On Friday, January 23, Alo will step onto the global stage at ONE Fight Night 39: Rambolek vs. Dayakaev, where she faces 18-year-old American standout Helena Crevar in a bantamweight submission grappling match.
It will be the biggest stage of her career, but also a return to a familiar rivalry, as Crevar was her first-ever opponent in a no-gi jiu-jitsu tournament years earlier.
Raised in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, Alo grew up in a tight-knit family as the eldest of six siblings.
Her entry into wrestling started not in a gym, but at home.
After witnessing a childhood scuffle between his daughters, her father — a former high school wrestler — saw potential immediately.
Here is what Alo had to say in an interview with ONE Championship:
My sister and I were actually fighting over a Hello Kitty pencil.
My dad actually wrestled when he was in high school, and he said it looked like you’re wrestling.So, he started putting us into classes and teaching us some of the takedowns.
Alo’s competitive journey was not gentle.
At her first tournament, she experienced a moment that permanently altered her mindset:
My sister won, but I actually got slammed.
I got second [place], and for some reason, my dad asked me if I wanted to stop because I was crying.I got slammed on my head because [my opponent] was a very strong boy.
But I was just like: “I need to beat this boy back.”
Rather than retreat, she doubled down:
I just trained my butt off and came back.
I beat that boy, and then I went to nationals. I just started winning – I [started winning] states, I started winning nationals, and then I started winning internationally, and it just grew from there.
Her resume soon reflected her resilience: four high school state wrestling titles, a USA Wrestling Freestyle National High School championship, a FILA Cadet World title, multiple USA Judo Junior Olympic golds, and Pan American gold…
All before her BJJ career even truly began.
Judo eventually lost its appeal when rule changes minimized leg attacks:
A lot of the rules, I felt like they were making it toward wrestlers…
I was like: “Okay, well, I’m out. I need my legs.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, BJJ re-entered her life unexpectedly:
I saw this guy teaching jiu-jitsu on the beach…
My mom signed me up… And I went on my first day and fell in love.
Her rise in grappling has been rapid, including three ADCC Open titles in 2025.
Now she faces Crevar again — this time on the biggest stage possible:
I’m basically living a dream.
I’m so excited for this match.
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