It wasn’t a brutal knockout or a slick submission that stole the headlines at UFC Winnipeg, but a tiny object in a fighter’s mouth. Last week, during the Fight Night broadcast, MMA fans noticed something in the mouth of one of the fighters during the middle of one of the rounds. Soon, fans began accusing Canadian flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius of fighting with a nicotine pouch, i.e., Zyn. The images blew up on the internet, and outlets labelled the fiasco ‘Zyn-Gate.’

While she went on to win the fight against Karine Silva by unanimous decision, the controversy nearly threatened her victory. Facing accusations that could overturn her win, Jasmine Jasudavicius has now responded to the ‘Zyn-Gate’ controversy.

“You know it’s so funny. Because I’m literally, probably the only person that does it,” Jasudavicius told Ariel Helwani. “You go to practice at like 11 o’clock and you ask everyone to show what’s in their lip, I guarantee that everyone’s got a Zyn in other than me. I’m like one of the only people that doesn’t use those nicotine pouches. So, it’s so funny that everyone is saying I had this nicotine pouch in.

“But no, I train with gum and I was warming up with gum. Sometimes I like, I’ve fought with gum in the past, but I forgot to spit it out before the walkout, and it was just still in my mouth. You know what, it’s better than a toothpick.”

While UFC fighters using nicotine products seems unheard of,  the former two-division champion Alex Pereira was spotted with them after defeating Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303. However, the key distinction is whether they were using it during the fight. As per the rules, it is completely legal to use nicotine products or chewing gum in the locker room or before the bout. But, inside the cage, unified MMA rules strictly prohibit the use of anything other than water.

However, since Jasudavicius has now clarified that it was chewing gum, not a nicotine pouch, it should be enough to put the issue to bed. The UFC Winnipeg winner appears comfortable chewing gum, citing her experience doing so in training and even past fights.

“But I always train with gum, and like I have sparred with gum,” Jasudavicius added. “So, it’s not like an odd thing for me to have gum in my mouth. I definitely had it in my warm-up. I just didn’t even think of it. With my mouthguard in, I still chew it like normal and I just tuck it in my lip and after sitting down, taking rest, you just have a couple of chews. Then back at it.”

With the nicotine rumors cleared up, the question becomes: why does Jasudavicius chew gum during fights at all?

UFC Winnipeg winner Jasmine Jasudavicius reveals why she chews gum during fights

Using chewing gum is not uncommon among athletes across multiple sports. For instance, high-profile soccer players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have often been seen chewing gum during matches. One commonly cited reason is stress relief during high-pressure moments, and Jasudavicius appears to use it for the same purpose.

She prefers chewing gum because it helps calm her nerves during a fight. However, she made it clear that she sticks to peppermint flavor and avoids sugary options.

“I pretty much only have like peppermint because I don’t like something sweet,” Jasudavicius said in the same interview. “I feel like that kind of upsets my stomach. So, I have always kept gum in my bag. Sometimes you feel like your cardio is a little bit off. But in the middle of the round, in the middle of practice, I’ll be like, ‘I’m kind of tired. I’ll have some gum.’ And then I’m like… hm… it helps regulate my breathing.”

With Jasudavicius’s explanation on the record, the ‘Zyn-Gate’ controversy appears to be settled, chalked up to a simple piece of peppermint gum.