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Typical UFC gloves weigh 4 ounces (110gms). Gloves that weigh up to 6 ounces (170gms) are also allowed in the UFC for fighters that require larger-sized gloves.
The purpose of UFC gloves is to protect both the wearer and the opponent. UFC gloves protect the fists of the wearer and allow them to throw punches with more strength, inflicting more damage on the opponent. Secondly, the gloves are intended to reduce the brain damage caused to the opponent's brain by repeated impact on the head.
The extent to which UFC gloves reduce brain damage is a topic of debate. The human brain floats in the cerebrospinal fluid which protects it from trauma. Brain damage is caused when the brain hits the wall of the skull after a high-impact collision causes the head and neck to jolt. No particular glove design can warrant reduced movement of the brain inside the skull unless the gloves become impractically heavy. However, the gloves significantly reduce the lacerations and damage to the facial expression lines.
Since MMA involves grappling, the design of UFC gloves has open fingers to enable grabbing hold of an opponent. However, the design of UFC gloves has been heavily criticized as it forces the fighters to keep an open palm during fights. As a result, more incidents of accidental eye poke are observed in the UFC than in any other major MMA organization. Daniel Cormier vs Stipe Miocic 3 and Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad are the two most recent fights in which accidental eye pokes affected the outcome.
Trevor Wittman explains why the UFC gloves cause more eye pokes
Famed MMA coach Trevor Wittman has been a vocal advocate of revolutionizing MMA equipment. Apart from being a coach, Wittman is also an equipment designer who has pursued the UFC to adopt his glove design that forces the wearer to keep a closed fist.
During his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Trevor Wittman explained the mechanics of UFC gloves that cause fighters to keep an open palm:
"So this is what happens with fighters and everyone who has wore and fought in these UFC gloves. They also have a hand-wrap underneath them. What happens is when you make a fist, it starts to put a lot of pressure in between your fingers and that's a huge thing that fighters feel... It's also hard to make a grip because it's tough... you have to constantly use your forearm strength to keep a closed fist," Trevor Wittman said.
