Jennifer Maia accused Casey O’Neill of greasing during their UFC 286 event in London, England.. She revealed that O’Neill’s “extremely slippery” skin made it difficult for her to grapple, and she had to abandon her grappling gameplan to go back to striking.
Maia won the event with a solid unanimous decision, handing O’Neill her first-ever professional mixed martial arts (MMA) loss.
Why is greasing banned in MMA competitions?
Greasing is strictly prohibited in competitions as it gives an unfair advantage to the competitor using it. It refers to the use of any substance or material on the body that is not allowed under the rules, such as slippery clothing or gear. The use of any form of greasing is considered cheating and can result in disqualification or other penalties for the competitor that’s involved.
According to elite BJJ competitior, Gordon Ryan, one way athletes grease is by using Johnson and Johnson lotion, which they rub into their skin an hour or two before the event. They do a light warm-up, towel themselves down, and go through the grease check when they are dry.
Once they start sweating, the pores open up, and the lotion comes out, making it difficult for their opponent to hold on to them. Some athletes also use baby oil on their hair and scalp to make it difficult for their opponent to hold on to them.
Gordon Ryan gave a detailed breakdown on how greasing works over at BJJDOC.com.
What was O’Neill’s response to Maia’s accusations?
O’Neill immediately denied Maia’s accusations and bluntly stated that Maia’s wrestling “just sucks.” In a since-deleted tweet, O’Neill asked Maia to book the fight again and let them do it. Maia is now on a two win streak and has successfully defended her Top 10 ranking in both outings.
As for O’Neill, the 25-year-old will go back to the drawing board and regroup, and her future remains bright.