In April, the UFC announced the development of new fight gloves. They will debut this weekend at UFC 302 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
“We have been working on these gloves over the past few years with the best designers, engineers, and athletes in the world,” said UFC CEO and President Dana White during their unveiling. “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.
While some fighters like the new gloves, former middleweight champion Sean Strickland is not one of them. Strickland takes on Paulo Costa in the UFC 302 co-main event and heavily criticized the new gloves during the UFC 302 Media Day.
“They suck,” said Strickland. “They suck. Can we talked to the person who designed these gloves? Have you ever been in a fight in your f***ing life? It’s like you get these f***ing dorks that have no idea. ‘Oh this sounds like a good idea,’ and they make it… They absolutely suck. UFC, you dropped the ball on that one.”
One complaint UFC 302 main event fighter Dustin Poirier has raised about the new gloves is he anticipates fighters will receive more cuts due to the less compact padding.
“I do think there might be more cuts because the padding isn’t as dense. I feel like the knuckles are going to pierce through that padding they have and cause more cuts,” said Poirier.
https://www.mmaweekly.com/news/sean-strickland-on-new-ufc-gloves-they-absolutely-suck
