Jon Jones is frequently hailed as the greatest fighter in UFC history, and he will be using a familiar pair of gloves for his heavyweight title defense against Stipe Miocic.
The UFC made a notable decision prior to the event scheduled for Saturday at Madison Square Garden by abandoning their much-publicized new fight gloves. These gloves had been introduced earlier in the year, primarily to reduce the incidents of eye pokes, which can often leave fighters unable to continue. This move represents the first significant alteration in protective gear in over a decade.
Despite the initial anticipation, the new gloves were discarded just six months after their introduction.
The organization reverted to its traditional style of gloves for the UFC 309 event, which features the title fight between Jones and Miocic. This change seems to be permanent, largely in response to the complaints voiced by fighters.
“The new gloves are now the old gloves,” stated UFC President Dana White.
The newly designed gloves had been used since UFC 302 in June.
Some major modifications included seams located on the palm side just beneath the fingers, aimed at reducing cuts and abrasions; fresh padding that was intended to help fighters maintain their fingers in a more natural position and thus minimize eye pokes; and the removal of finger binding, which was executed to lessen bulk and reduce the seams prone to causing cuts and abrasions.
Additionally, the previous sizing classifications for male and female fighters were replaced with 10 unisex sizes. The weight of the gloves ranged from 3 to 4.9 ounces, representing a decrease of 1 to 1.5 ounces compared to their predecessors.
From the beginning, fighters expressed dissatisfaction with the gloves, which had been designed and produced by the sports equipment company Vicis RDI. Many claimed the gloves did not provide the promised improvements in fit, comfort, and flexibility.
“The shape and curve of the gloves are very uncomfortable for me,” Jones shared during an interview in New York this week. “I was genuinely worried about entering fight week with gloves that I don’t even want to train with.”
Jones will revert to the familiar gloves for his championship bout, voicing relief about this decision. “It was a big relief for my coach who wraps my hands,” he commented, adding that he also felt reassured by the switch.
Glove designs in MMA have seen little evolution since the beginning of the sport. During the inaugural UFC event in November 1993, fighter Art Jimmerson participated with one hand bare and the other gloved. It wasn’t until UFC 14 in 1997 that the organization officially mandated the use of padded gloves.