Above, see the video that Georges St Pierre's camp has offered to counter claims from BJ Penn that grease was rubbed on St Pierre's body during their fight at UFC 94.
Rubbing any type of lubricant on any part of the body except the face is a violation of MMA rules. Penn claims that St. Pierre's corner rubbed grease on his body between rounds during the fight, that St. Pierre felt slippery, and that as a result Penn was at an unfair competitive disadvantage when St. Pierre beat him.
But the video compiled by St. Pierre's camp indicates that St. Pierre and cornerman Phil Nurse were simply engaging in deep breathing exercises when Nurse was rubbing St. Pierre's back, chest and shoulders, and that any grease that got on St. Pierre's body was a small amount that got there accidentally.
In addition to making that video, St. Pierre's camp sent the Nevada State Athletic Commission a 17-page written response (PDF) to Penn's claims of greasing.
Previously on FanHouse:
GSP Beat Penn -- With Help From Vaseline?
Dana White on GSP's Vaseline
B.J. Penn Documents GSP's "Cheating"
UFC 94 Photos
B.J. Penn takes left from Georges St. Pierre during their UFC welterweight mixed martial art title bout Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009 in Las Vegas. St. Pierre won by TKO. (AP Photo/Eric Jamison)
Eric Jamison, AP
B.J. Penn, left, punches Georges St. Pierre during their match at UFC 94 on Jan. 31, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
UFC
Georges St. Pierre, right, punches B.J. Penn during their match at UFC 94 on Jan. 31, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Georges St. Pierre charges B.J. Penn during their match at UFC 94 on Jan. 31, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
UFC
B.J. Penn and Georges St. Pierre battle during their match at UFC 94 on Jan. 31, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
UFC
B.J. Penn tries to fend off Georges St. Pierre during their match at UFC 94 on Jan. 31, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
UFC
Georges St. Pierre, right, tries to punch B.J. Penn during their match at UFC 94 on Jan. 31, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Georges St. Pierre catches the leg of B.J. Penn during their match at UFC 94 on Jan. 31, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Georges St. Pierre battles B.J. Penn during their match at UFC 94 on Jan. 31, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Georges St. Pierre elbows B.J. Penn during their match at UFC 94 on Jan. 31, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
UFC
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-27-2009 @ 10:20AM
Eric said...
Georges is going to have to live with the negative stigma from the greasing allegations.
Whether Georges knew it was going on or not, I think everyone realizes that grease was applied to GSP and any corner person at this level is aware of what they are doing. To say that the corner person did it by accident, or that George couldn't feel the grease being applied is silly.
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2-27-2009 @ 2:04PM
Plato said...
Top-to-bottom, side-to-side, in just a few sentences Eric sums the issue up and puts it to bed. Amen.
2-27-2009 @ 10:30AM
Frederick said...
scan PDF for those interested long read but very interesting. Very detailed
As far as it being an accident after reading the defense I still think it was an accident. I also agree with most points they bring
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2-27-2009 @ 10:31AM
Frederick said...
I forgot the link lol
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/files/nsac_response.pdf
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2-27-2009 @ 10:38AM
Michael David Smith said...
Thanks for the link, Frederick. I have also added the link to the body of this post and would encourage everyone who's interested in this story to read the full 17-page PDF.
2-27-2009 @ 10:32AM
mike said...
I think grease was applied to his back but I don't think he knew it. I also don't think it's as big a deal as people are making it out to be. It wouldn't create much of an advantage and it's not the reason he won.
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2-27-2009 @ 11:34AM
retrojoke said...
The same guy doing theb reathing techniques is rubbing vaseline on him for 2 rounds.
In the video it clearly shows a separate person applying vaseline and another massaging his chest. The video is just more support for Penn.
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2-28-2009 @ 5:36PM
lunatic8181 said...
The rule is pretty clear, a greasing agent is not allowed to be applied anywhere but a fighter's face. If you put a greasing agent on his face, then without wiping your hands "massage the rest of his body," it's still against the rules. The argument about whether his corner knew of it, is moot.
2-27-2009 @ 12:47PM
keats06 said...
if anyone has ever wrestled they would know what a huge diff just sweat makes and add water and vasoline to that twice in between rounds,makes a very big difference. andt to think penns thighs and calfs arnt strong enough to hold on to gsp, is over looking a major point.
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2-27-2009 @ 1:44PM
hmtcowgirl said...
I LIKE PENN BUT HE NEEDS TO GET OVER THE FACT THAT HE GOT HIS ASS BEAT
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2-27-2009 @ 1:53PM
ROBB said...
Bj GO BACK TO THE ISLANDS AND CRY THERE. yOU GOT BEAT GSP WAS SIMPLY A BETTER FIGHTER THAN YOU ANYWAY. IF I WERE YOU I WOULD WORRY A LITTLE MORE ABOUT WHAT KEN FLO IS GOING TO DO TO YOU THE NEXT TIME THE TWO OF YOUR MEET.
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2-27-2009 @ 3:49PM
rauzi1 said...
It is all excuses. BJ got his butt kicked and wants to drum up support for more fights. I really don't think he wants GSP again. Just trying to make himself viable for future fights.
I will admit the GSP reply reeks of BS. They knew what they were doing.
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2-27-2009 @ 3:57PM
azastpete said...
GO GSP.....LET HIM CRY...HE IS NOT IN YOUR LEAGUE...FIGHT HIM AGAIN AND DESTROY HIS ASS....
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2-27-2009 @ 4:47PM
darthebeastmastr said...
waaaaaaahhhhhh! give bj some pineapple juice laced with nyquil and him might feel better.
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2-27-2009 @ 5:54PM
odurdh2k said...
ufc has to go back and watch all of gsp fights and watch the corner man to check for greasing. personally, I'm a penn fan and bj got his ass whipped!!! Bj needs to stay at lightweight. the only way he"ll win another belt is if he fights in wec in a lighter weight class.
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2-27-2009 @ 6:23PM
tpinbc said...
Has the NSAC released a decesion on the subject yet?
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2-27-2009 @ 7:49PM
Niv said...
I read the pdf that GSP's team sent and I think it explains things well.
What I find funny is how nobody seems to understand that the Nevada State Athletic Commission has a representative that is with each fighter from locker room to ring, and are still there in the ring in between rounds to look for any sign of cheating.
How is it possible for GSP's corner to get away with this when reps are right there? It explains a lot when you read the pdf that someone thought that vaseline was being applied and the Commission rep wiped GSP off to be sure.
This sounds to me that steps were taken right then and there, so why do we still have this controversy?
BJ lost fair and square, and the legacy fight he was looking for is exactly what he found. Now his legacy is that of sore loser.
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3-02-2009 @ 12:16AM
LUCKYALIVE3577 said...
ok you morons the video shows st. pierre getting the breathing technique from the guy who put the vaseline on. sherk from a trainer while another trainer puts the vaseline on. It was a stupid mistake that didn't affect the fight. Just say that!!! They are making it worse.
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2-27-2009 @ 8:14PM
tbroad72 said...
I saw the fight! I saw BJ's videos! I saw St. P's videos! I'm sorry guys, but St. P's corner was putting something on him and you can't say he didnt know it! Specially Vasaline! How can that fight have been fair? BJ couldnt get a grip on the guy for a fair fight.
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2-27-2009 @ 8:52PM
fskholmes said...
I don't think it is at all unusual to see a corner man rubbing his fighters arms, chest, back, legs, neck and so on. It is a time tested practice for MMA, Boxing, Muay Thi and so on. Even as a novice of all these sports I have seen it often. The question is was a greasing agent applied. I find it difficult to believe that when a trainer applies vasoline to a fighters face between rounds (which is acceptable) that a small amount may not get transferred to other parts of the body. This is true for a ALL fighters in All contests. I cannot know what was in the mind of GSP or his trainers. But what I do know is that many fights have controversy. If you are a professional wrecking machine, as BJP claims to be, and you cannot find a way to win a fight one way, you FIND another. BJP supposedly has some of the heaviest hands in the sport. If you can't beat him on the ground, knock him out. If you can't knock him out, find another way. Winners find a way to win. If they can't then they lose. Count it for what it was, a loss, and move on. Cry, cuss, throw chairs, point fingers or do what ever you need to do but get over it. Life is not fair and certainly MMA at times is not fair. Take your lumps and your "L", hit the gym harder. If you can't do that then take your case to the Supreme Court. I'm sure they would love to see your evidence and have you waist their time as they would love to interrupt the courts proceeding of death penalty appeals to hear your vasoline complaint. You were not the better fighter, you were not going to catch him in an arm bar or triangle choke anyway. If your stand up is so good "STAND UP"! You got handled, and then you quite. Be mad at yourself for giving up. Fighters find a way to win and you didn't, you do the math. End of story!
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