Why do fighters grease their face

Professional mixed martial artist Guy Mezger reportedly said that close analysis of the fight shows that GSP definitely didn't "grease" as he was toweled off in between rounds and that the way the fight went down, "GSP could have been dipped in Crisco and it wouldn't have changed the fight. That being said, MMA fighters aren't allowed to douse themselves in Vaseline before or during a fight and officials will check to make sure that they aren't too slippery. Here's What We Know. Distractify is a registered trademark.

All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Article continues below advertisement. Why do they put Vaseline on fighters' faces? In most fights, the face is the focal point for attack. Whether its punches in boxing or punches, elbows and kicks in MMA. The head and especially face area take a large percentage of the damage. And as the face has several areas of relatively thin skin.

That cover often quite pronounced bones around the eyes and cheekbones. This means that these are the most likely areas to get cut during the fight. So by applying a substance like Vaseline to the face. With its combination of oils and waxes. This creates a barrier on the skin which helps to both seal the skin as well as make the area slippery.

So that when a punch lands it will help deflect the glove off of the skin. Which without the petroleum jelly would have friction with the glove. And as a result, is more likely for the skin to tear on impact.

The result of which can lead to the fight being stopped and that fighter losing. And between rounds, if a fighter does receive a cut, then vaseline will be applied to the area by the cutman using their finger. Live Healthy Sports. By William McCoy. Purpose Having several dabs of Vaseline or another type of petroleum jelly on your face during a boxing match might not do wonders for your appearance, but it can boost your longevity in the ring by protecting your face.

Application Many boxers like slightly different applications of Vaseline, but most request it for their nose, lips, cheekbones, jawbone and beneath their eyebrows. Other Uses Beyond helping lessen the sting from some punches, Vaseline can occasionally help control the amount a boxer bleeds during a fight. Legality Virtually all governing bodies in boxing allow fighters to have Vaseline on their faces during bouts, although a referee has the discretion to instruct your corner to remove an excess deposit of the substance.

And yet even with the application of vaseline, some fighters still tend to get cut in high-risk areas of the face.

For example, UFC fighter Nate Diaz is known for his propensity to get cut both on the cheekbone and eyebrow line in his fights, with his UFC main event ending in a doctor stoppage, to the dismay of the fans. This leads me to the reason for why it is in the best interest of both the fighters and the promoters to prevent cuts to the face through the application of vaseline.

The use of vaseline to prevent cuts may seem self explanatory, at least for the fighters. However, this is only the case in boxing, where the fighter employs their own cutman. But in MMA, cutmen are employed by the promotion. Well in short, the promoter does not want the fight to end in a Doctor Stoppage.

Now of course, fight fans typically find doctor stoppages to be an anticlimactic way to end a fight, and will often show their displeasure at the result.