Are you wondering what the UFC glove weight is? Or what size gloves do UFC fighters wear?
In this article, we’ll look at the different UFC glove weights, the size of gloves UFC fighters wear, the different weights of MMA gloves, and whether you wear hand wraps under MMA gloves and the rules regarding them.
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What Is the UFC Glove Weight? (What Size Gloves Do UFC Fighters Wear?)
In UFC competition, the UFC glove weight is usually 4 ounces (113g), but fighters who require bigger-sized gloves (usually heavyweights) can also wear 5 (142g) and 6-ounce (170g) gloves. Most fighters opt for the 4-ounce because they’re a better fit and they increase the force of the punch.
The UFC glove weight refers to the padding weight of the glove, rather than the overall weight, and the size of gloves from X-Small to 3X-Large is for proper fitting and hand comfort. So, the UFC glove weight of 6 ounces is heavier because it has more padding, which gives more protection to the user.
Outside of UFC competition, there are also UFC glove weights of 5, 6, 7, and 8 ounces for training purposes.
The 5-ounce gloves are designed for grappling training, the 6 and 7-ounce gloves are designed for grappling training that incorporates some striking such as light bag work, pad work, and light sparring sessions, and the 8-ounce gloves are designed for sparring and striking-focused MMA work as its open finger with extra foam padding over the fingers and thumb.
The UFC also has gloves for muay Thai and boxing. The UFC glove weight for muay Thai is 12,14, or 16 ounces. The UFC glove weight for boxing is 8, 12, or 14 ounces.
These gloves are used by UFC fighters when they’re specifically training muay Thai and boxing, training striking without grappling or Bjj, and mostly for heavy bag workouts as they have more padding to protect their hands. They’re also used in sparring when both fighters have agreed to only strike.
The purpose of UFC gloves is to prevent facial lacerations caused by bare knuckles and protect the fighter’s hand from injury. They also allow fighters to punch harder and more often, leading to better entertainment as there are more strikes and knockouts.
The intention of more knockouts is also to prevent brain trauma caused by repetitive punches to the head like in boxing.
Overall, the size of the glove UFC fighters wear depends on whether they’re fighting or the type of training they’re doing.
What Is the Weight of MMA Gloves?
The weight of MMA gloves varies depending on their intended use and size. Generally, there are three main types of MMA gloves: competition gloves, grappling/training gloves, and sparring gloves.
Competition gloves usually weigh between 4 (113g) and 6 ounces (170g), and in some US States, 8-ounce gloves are allowed.
The MMA glove weight for the competition is dictated by the commission for the event. For example, the New Jersey Commission allows MMA fighters to wear 4,5, or 6-ounce gloves, while the Nevada Commission allows gloves between 4 and 8 ounces.
The overwhelming majority of State Athletic Commissions allow for 4,5, and 6-ounce MMA gloves to be worn in competition, while amateurs wear at least 6 oz gloves for the extra protection the padding provides.
They’re the lightest MMA glove in terms of padding and overall weight and are designed for use in MMA competitions.
Their lower weight and less padding give fighters freedom of movement in their hands for grappling and Bjj and also makes punches harder for knockout blows. They also make defending harder as there’s less padding to block strikes and MMA fighters can punch through gaps in and around an opponent’s guard.
Grappling/training gloves usually weigh between 5 ounces and 7 ounces. They’re typically light and compact and are often used for pad work, light bag work, touch sparring, grappling, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu.
MMA gloves weighing 5 ounces are typically designed for grappling training (Bjj/wrestling). They have less padding to protect when punching and this makes the hands less restricted.
Also, the fingers move independently from each other which allows for a full range of motion and more gripping ability. In terms of design, quality, high-rated reviews, and affordability, the UFC 5oz gloves are a great pick.
MMA gloves weighing 6 or 7 ounces are typically designed for MMA training featuring more striking than a grappling-only session. This may be light sparring and light bag work. For MMA training gloves with more protection, great value, and highly rated reviews, the 7 oz Advanced Everlast Gloves are perfect.
Sparring gloves weigh 7/8 ounces and are designed to provide more padding and protection for both the wearer and their training partner during MMA sparring sessions, while still allowing for grappling and jiu-jitsu submissions to be performed at a high level and without restriction.
They’re definitely more restrictive than using 5 or 6-oz MMA gloves designed for grappling, but the protection they provide from heavier and frequent punches is essential during striking. One of the best MMA sparring gloves for quality, affordability, and high-quality reviews is the 7oz Sanabul sparring gloves.
Do You Wear Hand Wraps Under MMA Gloves?
Yes, you can and should wear hand wraps under MMA gloves whenever striking’s involved. If you’re practicing grappling only (wrestling, jiu-jitsu), hand wraps aren’t needed under MMA gloves as they’re intended to protect the hands when punching.
When competing, there aren’t any rules stipulating a fighter has to wear hand wraps under their MMA gloves, but all fighters who care to keep their hands and wrists injury-free wear them. Hand wraps create a flexible layer to keep the bones from being overly pushed around when punching – reducing impact.
Also, MMA gloves are designed with hand wraps in mind, so without them, the gloves feel uncomfortable because of rubbing. They also help keep a close fit and prevent slippage.
There are rules concerning hand wraps that all top MMA promotions who adhere to the Official Unified Rules of MMA must follow.
These rules stipulate hand wraps are limited to a maximum roll of 2” inches wide by 15 yards in length of cloth gauze, which isn’t allowed to stick out of the fighter’s gloves above the wrist.
There’s also a maximum of 1.25” inches wide and 10” inches in length of white athletic tape to go over the cloth gauze. Elastic or flex tape is allowed to then go over the athletic tape but it must be a single layer only.
Before competing, hand wraps and the weight of MMA gloves are checked in the dressing room by the referee before a fight when they go over the rules with each fighter.
They’re again checked by an event commissioner before an MMA fighter is permitted to enter the cage or octagon – so the rules must always be followed.
The Bottom Line
So, ‘what are the UFC glove weights? (what size gloves do UFC fighters wear?)’
UFC glove weights are 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8-ounce gloves, which refers to the weight of the padding in each pair of gloves. The sizing range of the gloves from X-Small to 3XL doesn’t much affect the overall UFC glove weight and is for the correct fitting and comfortability.
UFC glove weights of 4, 5, and 6 ounces are allowed to be used in a competitive UFC fight, whereas 4-ounce gloves are most often used because they allow fighters to deliver more force in their punches and also have their hands less restricted for wrestling and jiu-jitsu exchanges.
UFC gloves outside of competition range from 5 to 8 ounces, where the 5-ounce gloves are used to train grappling, 6 and 7-ounce gloves are for MMA training mixing both grappling and light striking, and 8-ounce gloves are used for sparring because of the increased padding and protection.
