The Hidden X-Factor In Sarah vs Helena At No-Gi Pans
The Hidden X-Factor In Sarah vs Helena At No-Gi Pans
In one of the most anticipated matches of the weekend, Sarah Galvão and Helena Crevar are likely to face off at IBJJF No-Gi Pans in New York
One of the most anticipated storylines heading into this weekend’s IBJJF No-Gi Pan Championships is the likely clash between Helena Crevar and Sarah Galvão. Both athletes are widely regarded as two of the top competitors in the world, and whenever they meet on the mats it carries major implications for the no-gi landscape both today and in the future. Crevar brings a relentless submission-hunting style, while Galvão’s tactical precision and championship pedigree make her a threat against anyone in the world.
They've met twice this year already, with Galvão winning in the Pan Championship (in the gi) and Crevar winning in the finals of the CJI bracket (no-gi). That's become the common logic for this rivalry, that Helena has the edge in no-gi while Sarah has the advantage in the gi. I'm not saying that's wrong - but there's one major factor in this matchup that fans need to keep in mind.
If there is one ruleset where you'd give Sarah the edge, it would absolutely be IBJJF rules. She understands the game behind the game like it's a language she's spoken since birth, and has a genuine mastery of this ruleset that develops when you grow up with it. Every score, every advantage, every penalty, and every close position has been game-planned for. While Sarah is effective under any ruleset she fights under, she's optimized under IBJJF rules.
That doesn't mean I give Sarah the advantage overall, as I still think she needs to demonstrate that she can provide an answer for the leg locks of Crevar. Helena is the top pound-for-pound woman in the sport and her ability to finish on lower body submission holds remains a key differentiator between these two. She's got a dangerous closed guard as well. It is also interesting to see her favoring more top work in a few recent matches. This will be another factor to watch out for at Pans, in a ruleset that does primarily favor top players for scoring opportunities.
I want to applaud both Helena and Sarah for staying so busy and accepting these challenges. Both women are rookie black belts and they are hungry to prove they're the best. Sarah just accepted an invitation at Ocean BJJ on hours notice and Helena just fought again at PFC. Both compete gi and no-gi under multiple rulesets.
This all also isn't to pretend that we can just pencil these two into the finals, by the way. This is a really deep division full of dangerous, talented black belts. Sula-Mae Loewenthal has a win this year over Helena (it was a very unusual circumstance though), Nadia Frankland is a killer leg locker from the Lachlan Giles/Atos camp, Injana Goodman just won Trials, and other names like Gamila Kanew and Rosa Walsh lurk.
We'll see on the day, but certainly Helena and Sarah will be favorites in any match up until they face each other. It's also worth noting that both of these women will be facing a blind draw. They could be first round opponents, there's no telling until Thursday when brackets come out.
It's not crazy to think we are going to see these two generational talents face off many times in their careers - and that's a great thing. Rivalries drive interest, and interest grows a sport. This rivalry takes an important step this weekend at the IBJJF No-Gi Pans, when they face off for the first time in IBJJF competition as black belts.
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