LAS VEGAS — After years of criticism regarding eye pokes and hand breaks, the UFC is introducing a new glove for its fighters that is set to debut at UFC 302 on June 1 in Newark, New Jersey.
At a presentation after the official weigh-ins for UFC 300, a new and reimagined glove was presented. Coined as the 3Eight/5Eight, the gloves were created to offer more mobility and flexibility while reducing the number of eye pokes and hand injuries.
The 3Eight will be a gun metal glove for all three-round fights, and the 5Eight will be a gold glove for all championship-round fights. There is also a turquoise glove for Dana White’s Contender Series and a red glove for events such as Road to UFC Asia.
“There was a revelation that there hasn’t been an evolution of the fight glove,” said Duncan French, senior vice president of the UFC Performance Institute. The fingerless glove was introduced at UFC 4 by Melton Bowen in 1994 and became mandatory for all fighters at UFC 14.
French noted that an eye poke happens every 14 fights with an average delay of 50 seconds. The number of injuries has been a point of contention for several years, and the idea to reboot the glove with new technology rather than an evolution appears to be the UFC’s most significant change in recent years that will directly affect fighter performance.
The glove technology includes a reduced weight, 10 unisex sizes from XXXS to XXXXL, and a slimmer profile that removes excess space at the outside of the hand. There will also be a removal of finger binding that allows the hand to close into a fist more naturally, and seams on the outside of the glove are eliminated to prevent cuts and abrasions. Padding has been added to the sides of the glove at the index and pinkie fingers to provide more protection for the hand.
The glove was covertly tested out during a recent season of Dana White’s Contender Series for 10 weeks and will be put into action when the UFC heads to the Prudential Center in June.
“We have been working on these gloves over the past few years with the best designers, engineers, and athletes in the world,” UFC CEO and president White said in a statement. “This redesign will truly be a game changer for the entire sport of MMA. These gloves will feel lighter, fit fighters’ hands better, prevent injuries, and provide maximum flexibility during the fights. You’ll start to see these in competition this summer.”