Jasmine Jasudavicius fought with snus in her mouth during bout

Jasmine Jasudavicius raised eyebrows during her most recent UFC outing after it emerged she competed with snus — a smokeless tobacco product — tucked in her mouth throughout the bout, an unusual in-cage habit that drew criticism following the fight.

Jasudavicius, 37, is a Canadian women's flyweight ranked ninth in the division with a professional record of 15-4-0. Fighting out of Niagara Top Team, the five-foot-seven orthodox striker is an active and well-rounded competitor, landing 3.7 significant strikes per minute while also averaging 2.59 takedowns per 15 minutes. The choice to fight with snus in her mouth has been noted as something that is disapproved of, though Jasudavicius appears to have drawn inspiration from a recognizable source.

That source is former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson, whose own in-cage quirk — chewing on a toothpick during fights — became something of a signature throughout his career. Henderson, now 42 and carrying a 24-7-0 record, fought out of MMA Lab as a southpaw standing five-foot-nine with a 70-inch reach. The "Smooth" moniker suited a fighter who averaged 2.4 takedowns per 15 minutes and 0.8 submission attempts over the same period. His toothpick became almost inseparable from his public image during his championship run.

Why it matters

• Jasudavicius appears to have directly modeled the habit on Henderson's famous toothpick, substituting a tobacco product instead.
• Unlike a toothpick, snus introduces a consumable substance into competition, which has prompted disapproval.
• The incident adds an unusual footnote to Jasudavicius's career as she holds a top-ten position in the women's flyweight rankings.