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As you watch a UFC fight, have you ever questioned why fighters wear gloves? The answer is more complex than you might think.
Worry not, this blog is all about Why Do UFC Fighters Wear Gloves?
You may have also asked yourself if wearing gloves during combat sports is safer than not wearing them.
In this post, we’ll look at the significance of gloves in combative activities and address some of your inquiries regarding how they’re used in MMA, boxing, and kickboxing.
The wait is over, let’s roll!
Why do UFC Fighters need to Wear Gloves?
UFC fighters wear gloves for safety and to reduce the risk of injury during fights. They provide padding to lessen the force of a punch and protect the fighters’ hands from fractures and cuts. Gloves also prevent eye gouging, a common technique used in the early days of MMA. They are an essential piece of protective equipment in combat sports.
Why Do Fighters Wear MMA Gloves?
Protecting the Hands
One of the primary reasons fighters wear gloves is to protect their hands from injury. Without gloves, the repetitive force of punching and striking could cause fractures, sprains, and other debilitating injuries to the hand bones and muscles.
By wearing gloves, fighters can minimize the risk of hand injuries and increase their punching power by allowing them to strike with more force and frequency.
Cuts to the Face
Another reason why gloves are used in combat sports is to minimize the occurrence of cuts to the face. The cushioning in the gloves cushions a portion of the force of a punch, lowering the danger of facial wounds and bruises.
Face cuts are not only unpleasant, but they can also impede a fighter’s sight and make it harder for them to continue fighting.
Modernization of the Sport
The modernization of MMA and combat sports has played a significant role in the use of gloves. As the sport evolved, safety concerns were raised, and rules were implemented to protect fighters from serious injuries.
Gloves were introduced to minimize the occurrence of hand injuries and cuts to the face and to ensure that fighters were not engaging in illegal techniques that could cause serious harm to their opponent.
Is Wearing Gloves Safer Than Not Wearing Gloves?
The use of gloves in combat sports has been a subject of debate in recent years.
While some argue that gloves provide additional protection and make the sport safer, others believe that gloves lead to more significant injuries.
Studies have shown that while gloves can prevent some hand injuries, they can also lead to more severe brain injuries due to the increase in the frequency and force of strikes.
Why Don’t Boxers Use MMA Gloves?
Boxing gloves are significantly larger and more padded than MMA gloves, and there are several reasons for this.
Boxing boxers are restricted to using their arms and legs, thus they attack with more force and frequently than MMA fighters. Larger gloves give more hand protection and lower the danger of hand injuries.
Additionally, the larger gloves in boxing help to reduce the risk of cuts to the face, as the extra padding absorbs more of the impact from punches.
Why Do Boxing and Kickboxing Use Bigger Gloves Than MMA?
In kickboxing and boxing, fighters use larger gloves than those used in MMA. The size and padding of gloves in kickboxing and boxing vary based on the weight class, but they are generally more padded than MMA gloves.
The primary reason for the larger gloves in kickboxing and boxing is that fighters are only allowed to strike with their hands, which means that they strike with greater force and frequency than in MMA.
Ensuring Proper Glove Fitting
Ensuring that gloves fit correctly is critical in combat sports. Ill-fitting gloves can increase the risk of hand injuries and impair a fighter’s ability to punch effectively.
Furthermore, gloves that are excessively big can increase the danger of facial wounds since the padding may not be in the proper place for absorbing the force of punches.
Fighters must have their gloves fitted properly and checked by officials to ensure that they are safe to use.
Monitoring for Fouls and Illegal Techniques
In combat sports, officials closely monitor fighters to ensure that they are not engaging in fouls or illegal techniques that could cause serious harm to their opponent.
The use of gloves can help officials identify when a fighter is using illegal techniques, such as eye gouging or fish-hooking, that can cause significant harm to their opponent.
Gloves also help officials identify when a fighter is hitting with the wrong part of their hand, such as using an open hand instead of a closed fist, which is also against the rules.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the use of gloves in combat sports is essential for the safety of the fighters. Gloves protect the surfaces of the hands and face and assist to reduce the possibility of major injury.
So the following time you observe a fighter put on those gloves, remember that it’s not for display.
While the use of gloves can lead to more severe brain injuries, they are still an integral part of the sport and are necessary to protect fighters from debilitating hand and facial injuries.
Boxers and kickboxers use larger gloves than MMA fighters because they are only allowed to use their hands and strike with greater force and frequency.
Proper glove fitting and monitoring for fouls and illegal techniques are also essential to ensure the safety of the fighters.
In general, gloves play an important part in combative activities, and the sport would be much riskier for athletes without them.
Stay safe and see you soon!
