Written by Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Just five months after the UFC debuted a new design for gloves used in fights, the promotion is returning to the previous version moving forward.
Ahead of UFC 309 on Saturday, fighters were informed that they would be using the older version of the gloves but it was unclear at the time if that was a one-time move or something more permanent. UFC CEO Dana White then announced during the pre-fight press conference on Thursday that it was actually his decision to return to old gloves after discovering that many fighters were not happy with the new design.
“Because there were a lot of complaints,” White said about the gloves. “We originally created these gloves to stop eye pokes and we had good intentions with them. They didn’t work out. People weren’t happy with them.
“So I actually made the decision. Called our chief operating officer Lawrence [Epstein] and said I’m switching the gloves, I want the old gloves back.”
Back in April, the UFC announced plans to roll out the new gloves, which were meticulously designed to “feel lighter, fit fighters’ hands better, prevent injuries, and provide maximum flexibility during the fights.”
The new gloves eventually debuted at UFC 302 in June to mixed results.
There were immediately complaints that the rate of knockouts dropped off dramatically in the new gloves and issues like eye pokes didn’t seem diminished based on the updated design.
Heavyweight champion Jon Jones said he actually received a pair of the new gloves a few weeks out from his return at UFC 309 and after practicing with them, he immediately grew concerned.
“I tried them on and I thought they were tight,” Jones said. “I used to fit in XL and in the new glove I had to put on a 3XL. The shape, curving your hands like that, they very uncomfortable for me.”
Jones later said it was a “relief” when he got a call from the UFC telling him that the old gloves would be returning for UFC 309.
Now it seems the old gloves are here to stay with White confirming plans to retire the new gloves permanently.
“Yes, the new gloves are now the old gloves,” White said.
There’s no word yet if the UFC could potentially work on a better designed glove for the future but the version that debuted in June will no longer be used by athletes in the promotion.