UFC flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show following her victory over Karine Silva at UFC Winnipeg, where she addressed viral online speculation that she had a nicotine pouch in her mouth during the match. Speaking about the situation, Jasudavicius made it clear the rumors were off the mark and explained exactly what had happened.
When Helwani gently raised the topic, Jasudavicius did not hesitate to set the record straight.
“It’s so funny, because I’m literally probably the only person in the gym that does it,” she said. “You go to practice at like 11:00 and you ask everyone to show what’s in their lip. I guarantee that everyone’s got a Zyn, other than me. Like I’m one of the only people in the gym that doesn’t use those nicotine pouches. So it’s so funny that everyone is saying that I have this nicotine pouch in.”
She went on to explain that the timing of the rumors was particularly ironic given something she had recently seen firsthand.
“A teammate of mine actually did compete in Honduras like two weeks ago with a nicotine pouch and he showed it after,” she said. “But no, I train with gum and I was warming up with gum. I sometimes, I’ve competed with gum in the past, but I forgot to spit it out before the walk out and it was just still in my mouth. And it’s better than a toothpick.”
Despite the online chatter, Jasudavicius made it clear she was not bothered by the attention the situation received.
“I think it’s hilarious,” she said. “I don’t really care. It’s funny to me that everyone’s talking. Hey, I like that people are talking about it.”
When Helwani asked whether she had previously competed in the UFC with gum in her mouth, she admitted it was possible, while acknowledging the risk involved.
“Possibly,” she said with a laugh. “But that’s on me. That’s not on anyone else. If I choke on it, then I’m the one that, whatever. But I always train with gum and I’ve sparred with gum, everything, so it’s not an odd thing for me to have gum in my mouth.”
She continued, “I definitely had it in the warm up. I just didn’t even think of it. With my mouthguard in, I still like chew it normal and then I just kind of tuck it in my lip and then after, sitting down while you’re taking a rest, you have a couple chews and then back at it.”
She also explained why gum has become a regular part of her training routine, noting that it helps her stay comfortable during intense sessions.
“I pretty much will only have like peppermint because I don’t like anything sweet,” she said. “I feel like that kind of upsets my stomach. So I always keep gum in my bag and anytime, sometimes you feel like your cardio’s a little bit, not off, but like in the middle of the round or middle of practice I’ll be like, I’m kind of tired, I’ll have some gum and then maybe it helps regulate my breathing or something. I don’t know. I enjoy it.”
As the conversation wrapped up, Helwani joked that the unexpected controversy might even lead to sponsorship opportunities. Jasudavicius leaned into the humor and made it clear she would not be opposed to cashing in on the moment.
“Hey, if any companies, I’ll start putting them in,” she laughed, before adding, “For sure. I’m already doing it with gum. I can throw one of those in. No problem.”
