Why Do Boxers Use Vaseline During a Match

Discover why Boxers Use Vaseline during a match. From protecting their skin to aiding in breathing, Vaseline plays an impressive role in a boxer’s arsenal. Learn more here.

Whenever you watch a boxing or MMA match, you will see some jelly-like substance being applied to the face of the boxer by a cutman. That transparent substance is called Vaseline and it is utilized all through the world of boxing. 

Yet, for what reason do boxers apply Vaseline all over before a battle?

There are a few justifications for why vaseline is applied to a fighter before a boxing match.  

Let’s find out why boxers use vaseline during a match in detail and how much of it they generally use. 

Why Do Boxers Use Vaseline?

Boxers Use Vaseline

Vaseline is the substance utilized generally by fighters all over the world during boxing or MMA matches, but what exactly is it? 

Well, vaseline is a mix of petroleum jelly that is then blended in with oils and waxes.

This mixture of substances makes petroleum jelly that is perfectly fit for the world of combat sports. 

Why Apply Vaseline to a Fighters Face?

In most boxing or MMA fights, the player’s face is the main point of attack. The head and particularly the face region take an enormous percentage of the damage.

Furthermore, as the face has a few areas of moderately thin skin that covers some articulated bones around the eyes and cheekbones, this implies that these are the most probable areas on the face to get cut during the fight.

So, applying a substance like a vaseline to the face makes a barrier on the skin which serves to both seals the skin as well as make the facial area slippery. The major goal is that when a punch lands on your face, it will help in deflecting the glove off your skin.

As a result, vaseline most likely prevents the player’s facial skin to tear apart while receiving punches from the opponent. A severe tear on the skin can prompt the boxing fight to be stopped and that fighter loses the match.

How Much Vaseline Do Boxers Put on Their Face?

How Much Vaseline Do Boxers Put on Their Face

There aren’t any particular standards for how much vaseline is permitted by a fighter during a match. However, the referee can decide how much vaseline can be applied to the player’s face.

Often, vaseline gets applied to the most significant regions like the nose, cheekbones, jawbone, ears, and so on. 

It is best not to apply an excessive amount of vaseline to the face as players may get the vaseline in their eyes, and a fighter doesn’t want this.

Wrong Application of Vaseline

MMA is quite different from boxing as it includes grappling. This part of MMA fighting includes involving the influence of the opponent’s limbs and body to achieve a victory. 

What we have found in cases in the game is that when vaseline is being applied to the face, cornermen have likewise applied extra vaseline to different parts of the body. This usually makes it a lot harder for the opponents to grab the body of the player and achieve a victory.

Thus, for this reason, there are exceptionally strict rules around using vaseline in the game of MMA. 

Final Words

Henceforth, I figure you can now understand the very obvious reason behind vaseline being a staple in battle sports. 

No other substance accomplishes similar outcomes as it does during boxing or MMA fighting matches. Thus, for this reason, it has kept on being the product of choice for cutmen all over the world in boxing and punching. 

So, until an item is designed that fulfills the very characteristics as that of vaseline, it will keep on being the universe’s number one-selling petroleum jelly for boxers and fighters.