UFC fighters put themselves through bizarre rituals to prepare for a fight. One such athlete is Jiri Prochazka. He rubbed poison ivy on himself before the fight with Alex Pereira to increase his endurance. Meanwhile, heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has been following in similar footsteps, and he decided to dip his hands into gasoline!

Tom Aspinall is making his return at UFC 321 against Ciryl Gane after 12 months since his last fight. Prior to his last fight, the heavyweight champion apparently FaceTimed reporter Ariel Helwani to show him that he was genuinely dipping his hands into petrol. This revelation had fans intrigued, so let’s take a look at Aspinall’s unusual method, which is actually a tradition in Romani culture.

What is the gypsy method of dipping knuckles in petrol?

Dipping knuckles in petrol is an age-old tradition among the Gypsies, a community of travellers, among their bare-knuckle fighters. This practice was especially prevalent among Irish travellers, which involved soaking their knuckles in petrol for 20 minutes at dawn. The popular belief is that it hardens the knuckles.

Fighters who tend to soak their hands in petrol often claim that it conditions their fists, especially their knuckles, to absorb heavy impact. When Ariel Helwani saw Tom Aspinall doing it via a FaceTime call, he smiled at the act. Aspinall was inspired by the 2011 film ‘Knuckle’ for his latest camp. Let’s take a look at that front.

How Tom Aspinall uses Big Joe Joyce’s traveler technique for UFC 304

Well, Tom Aspinall’s ritual is similar to legendary Big Joe Joyce. The documentary Knuckle shows how bare-knuckle boxing was used to clear feuds between the traveller communities. This is a very popular sport among the Irish Traveller communities, and Joyce, who is an eminent personality in that community, made an astonishing revelation about how he prepares for these fights. “I don’t wear nothing, just bare knuckles,” he said in the YouTube documentary.

This process of dipping hands continues to this day among the Irish travelers. Joe Joyce has also spoken about the benefits of soaking hands in gasoline before a fight. Tom Aspinall noticed that the new gloves introduced by UFC did not have a lot of protection around the knuckles. So, taking a page from the Irish travelling communities who soak their hands in gasoline to make them stronger, he decided to do the same.

“Mate, they’re like absolute stones,” Aspinall told journalists, including MMA Junkie, at UFC 304 media day. He then elaborated on his inspiration, saying, “I’ve been doing the old gypsy method of dipping them in petrol, and they’re like rocks.” But does this practice really help? Let’s find out.

Does dipping hands in gasoline really harden knuckles?

Well, there is no scientific evidence that supports the claim that dipping hands in petrol helps harden the knuckles. Instead, doctors strongly advise against it because of the many medical issues it may create. Prolonged exposure to petrol can damage the skin, removing its protective layer and even leading to dryness, cracking, and even chronic dermatitis. Toxic chemicals like Benzine, found in petrol, can cause nerve and kidney damage as well.

However, Tom Aspinall seems oblivious to the dangers petrol poses. He claims that he’s been doing just fine with this method and believes others may soon follow suit as well. “They are doing alright so far, mate… We’ll find out if I get a disgusting knockout on Saturday, you better believe that half of the roster is going to be dipping their knuckles in petrol,” the heavyweight champion stated during the UFC 304 media day.

Well, Tom Aspinall is not the first British fighter to adopt this method. Boxing legend Tyson Fury talked about dipping his hands in petrol. What do you make of this practice? Is there any credibility to it? Drop your comments below.