How different are the new UFC gloves from the old ones? Comparing knockouts, eye poke incidents, and more
The new UFC gloves have lately been a hot-button topic. While some feel that the UFC made the right decision by introducing them, others argue that the old UFC gloves were better and that changing them was akin to unnecessarily messing with a winning combination. Per the organization, one of the new gloves' biggest advantages would be the minimization of eye pokes.
The UFC 302 (June 1, 2024) event was the first to witness the new gloves being used in professional MMA bouts. Thus far, the promotion has held four events wherein fighters have donned the new gloves. Some fans claim that the number of wins by KO/TKO (knockout/technical knockout) has steeply declined.
They attribute this to the new gloves, which supposedly hurt the fighters' KO power. Today, we look at the new gloves as well as the number of knockouts and submissions in the four events since their introduction and the four preceding events that comprised the old gloves. We'll also briefly address potential solutions.
A closer look at the new UFC gloves
The UFC unveiled the new gloves back in April 2024, and as promised, the gloves were debuted at UFC 302 in June. The gloves are available in the 3EIGHT and 5EIGHT series, which are for three-round fights and five-round fights respectively. Their design and production are identical, and differences would only be in color and graphics.
The new gloves are available in 10 unisex sizes, marking a departure from the old gloves' male-female differentiation. The new gloves are in the 3-4.9 oz weight range, which marks a 1-1.5 oz weight reduction from the previous gloves.
Since UFC 302, the UFC main roster non-title fights have the traditional black-colored gloves, and UFC championship fights have golden-colored gloves. The UFC's 'TUF' (The Ultimate Fighter) reality show fights have a different shade of black-colored gloves, while 'DWCS' (Dana White's Contender Series) fights have blue-colored gloves, and the 'Road to UFC' fights have red-colored gloves.
The gloves have been designed by the Certor Sports-owned VICIS RDI. As indicated in a report on the UFC's official website, VICIS has prioritized athlete safety while designing the new gloves. It's been noted that the US-based sports equipment manufacturing company ergonomically designed the gloves for superior fitting with high-quality foam-layered protection, safeguarding the hand's delicate bones.
One of the long-running criticisms against the UFC gloves was that their design caused too many eye pokes. Some speculated that the Pride FC gloves, and even the ONX gloves designed by world-renowned MMA trainer Trevor Wittman, had a curve whereby fingers naturally stay in a curved position rather than fully extend, which could reduce eye pokes.
Well, the UFC claimed that its new gloves were designed to help fighters keep their fingers in a natural position and reduce the instances of eye pokes. Another important point is that the new gloves are believed to boast better wrist protection for fighters, in addition to the padding on the sides of the index and pinky fingers to minimize bone injuries.
The UFC also signaled that the new gloves would reduce abrasions/cuts and glove grabs, owing to the seam placement and overall design. In addition, the consensus is that the gloves could potentially provide a more natural grip that'll result in better overall grappling performance.
The UFC's official combat and fitness equipment supplier, Dyaco, hailed it as a 'revolutionary' glove design, citing the stellar research and development work that went into coming up with the gloves. It's been reported that several fighters and engineers were consulted in the process. The UFC implied that the VICIS-designed gloves were engineered based on scientific data and statistical studies.
Moreover, the UFC's official blockchain partner, VeChain, provides a VeChainThor NFC chip in the glove that helps verify the glove's authenticity and history. It's expected to benefit fan memorabilia collectors and steer clear of counterfeits.
The eye-poke conundrum, and comparison of knockouts and submissions
Firstly, let's address the eye-poke debate. Long story short: No, the new gloves haven't solved the eye poke issue. The old gloves saw nasty eye pokes for years, even in 2024. As for the new gloves, ironically, the UFC 302 event's main card portion's first fight, the Randy Brown-Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos welterweight bout, witnessed Brown eye poke his opponent.
Eye pokes would be an issue as long as we use fingerless gloves with separate columns for each finger. MMA needs such fingerless gloves, or else we'll end up with a boxing glove that'll severely dent MMA's grappling aspect. Yes, it's a Catch-22.
Secondly, we come to the rumors that the new gloves have somehow led to a sharp decrease in knockouts inside the octagon. Let's rewind a bit and examine the four events that preceded UFC 302 -- UFC Vegas 91 (April 27, 2024), UFC 301 (May 4, 2024), UFC St. Louis (May 11, 2024), and UFC Vegas 92 (May 18, 2024).
Kindly bear in mind that for simplicity's sake, we're taking into account all KO/TKO wins, even the ones that were precipitated by elbows, knees, kicks, and cut-related doctor stoppages.
The wins via KO/TKO in the four aforementioned events with the old gloves were five, four, four, and four respectively. Meanwhile, the wins via submission were two, two, one, and two respectively.
Now, let's juxtapose that with the KO/TKO and submission wins in the most recent cards, the four cards with the new UFC gloves. The cards in question are UFC 302 (June 1, 2024), UFC Louisville (June 8, 2024), UFC Vegas 93 (June 15, 2024), and UFC Saudi Arabia (June 22, 2024).
The wins via KO/TKO in the four aforementioned events with the new gloves were zero, five, one (though this one TKO was due to a grappling-induced knee injury), and three. Furthermore, the wins via submission were three, one, three, and one.
The UFC should conduct a fighter-only poll on the new gloves after a certain timeframe
Some fans have lightheartedly opined that the upcoming card, UFC 303 (June 29, 2024), boasts several fearsome KO artists and could be a measuring tool to gauge whether the new gloves inhibit knockout ability compared to the old gloves.
As evidenced, fighters have indeed secured knockouts and submissions with the new gloves, putting to rest any concerns about the gloves possibly defanging strikers and/or grapplers. Dustin Poirier, who headlined UFC 302, opined that the new gloves were more comfortable but could cause more cuts, while UFC 302 co-headliner Sean Strickland downright lambasted the new design.
Truth be told, we, as fans, need to give the UFC and its fighters more time to test the gloves in competition. Perhaps the UFC could conduct a special fighter-only poll in June 2025, after a year of the new gloves being in use.
Every fighter who's competed with the new gloves inside the octagon during that one-year timeframe could cast their vote and determine whether they're worthy, or if the UFC should reinstate the old gloves, or design new gloves altogether. Perhaps combat sports icon Conor McGregor could come to the rescue! 'Mystic Mac' had already addressed this issue a few years ago.