Jasmine Jasudavicius says the white object seen in her mouth during her latest win was chewing gum, not a nicotine pouch, after fan speculation following UFC Fight Night 273.
Jasudavicius earned a unanimous decision victory over Karine Silva this past Saturday at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. Between rounds, corner footage showed her chewing and shifting a white object between her lip and gums, prompting questions online about whether it was a nicotine pouch, which would violate the Unified Rules of MMA.
Appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, Jasudavicius addressed the clips directly. “It’s so funny that everyone is saying I had a nicotine pouch in,” she said. “No, I train with gum, and I was warming up with gum. Sometimes I like, I’ve fought with gum in my mouth in the past, but I forgot to spit it out before the walkout, and it was just still in my mouth. Better than a toothpick. ... I didn’t even think about it, it went in with my mouthguard, and I still chew it normal, and then I just took it in between my lip and then during the rounds I have a couple of chews.”
Under the rules, gum and any foreign object are prohibited from being in a fighter’s mouth during competition. Jasudavicius’ win over Silva comes after a previous women’s flyweight title-eliminator loss to Manon Fiorot last October, which snapped a five-fight winning streak.
