The MMA world has been buzzing with confusion after a deepfake video falsely suggested that actress Sydney Sweeney had recently trained Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with accomplished grappler Mason Fowler.
The fabricated footage, which originated from BJJ instructional platform Digitsu, superimposed Sweeney’s face onto analysis content discussing back escape techniques.
In the video, a discussion unfolds about Fowler’s proficiency with back escapes and his preference for escaping toward the choking side rather than the traditional underhook side.
Sydney says, “Ethan is so good at his back escapes. And I think a big part of it is which side he chooses to escape from.”
She then continues: “He’s so good at escaping from that choking side, right? Which is the opposite of what I learned. I was always taught in jujitsu to go to the side of their underhook.”
The video includes someone explaining how private lessons with Fowler revolutionized their approach to defending back control. She said, “It wasn’t until recently, after I took some private lessons with Mason Fowler, and he taught me to go towards the choking side.”
The clip ends with her making an alleged double-meaning statement: “Since then, after learning the escape he showed me, no one has been able to control me from behind.”
The deepfake has led many in the combat sports community to believe the actress recently took up BJJ training, when in reality, her martial arts background dates back over a decade to her teenage years.
Sweeney allegedly has legitimate grappling credentials. Speaking with W Magazine, she opened up about her extensive athletic history that began long before her breakout performance as Cassie in HBO’s “Euphoria.”
“My mom told me from a very young age to fall in love with as many things as possible. And so I did,” Sweeney explained when discussing her diverse sporting interests.
While she participated in skiing, wakeboarding, soccer and softball growing up, it was combat sports that left a lasting impression. “My parents also got me into grappling and kickboxing. Grappling is like wrestling,” she shared.
From approximately age 13 until 18 or 19, Sweeney trained at a North Hollywood facility, where she studied under some of the martial arts world’s most respected figures, including legendary grappler Gokor Chivichyan, the renowned Gene LeBell, world-champion kickboxer Benny Urquidez, and coach Karen Darabedyan. The gym notably also produced training for future MMA star Ronda Rousey during that era.
The experience was challenging in ways beyond the physical demands. “I was the only girl at the dojo,” she recalled, describing how she navigated the male-dominated environment.
Despite being outnumbered, Sweeney competed successfully at the tournament level. “I had a few grappling tournaments, which were a lot of fun. I have a few ribbons. I fought all guys,” she noted with pride.
Her martial arts foundation allegedly has proven valuable in her acting career. “I had been searching for a character that would enable me to use this athletic version of myself,” she explained, referring to her preparation for portraying boxer Christy Martin in an upcoming biopic.
