Ask any boxer or any MMA fighter what the most vital part of their body in their sports and almost all of them will tell you the answer is their hands. This fact is even more true for MMA fighters, as they can be down on the mat trying to wriggle free from a submission or are grabbing the limbs of your opponent so you can either better position yourself for a strike or so you can execute a submission of your own. What do you need in order to do all of these successfully? You need the right MMA gloves. This is a guide on MMA gloves to help you to identify the best features that you should be looking for when choosing the best MMA gloves for you.
Padding
The padding on MMA gloves can sometimes vary in thickness and type. Some of the best MMA gloves that are on the market offer gel padding technology to offer better impact absorption. In general, the padding inside MMA gloves should be around an inch thick in order to best protect your hands and wrists. It is important to remember that your gloves are not intended for heavy bag work, but are meant for sparring or for an actual fight. You will need different gloves for bag work.
Fingerless Gloves
As discussed earlier in the article, MMA fighters need to be able to perform a variety of different moves with their hands. Other than protecting the hands, MMA fighters are looking to be able to use their fingers to be able to clinch or grip onto their opponent’s legs and arms to perform a successful submission hold. In order to do that, you can’t have boxing glove style restrictions on your hands. Imagine that you are trying to hold onto your opponent’s forearm in order to execute a triangle-choke lock or an arm-bar, but you’re wearing boxing gloves. That doesn’t work or make sense. You need to have your fingertips free to let you properly perform this gripping that you need to do.
Quality
Your MMA gloves should be able to last you for several years of training and fighting. Good-quality gloves for MMA are designed to be able to withstand a lot of tough use and wear and tear. To be able to do this, they should be made of very good quality materials, so they are able to handle the constant use. This top-quality should cover the material the gloves are made of, the stitching, and the cut of your gloves’ leather, among some other things.
Size
The gloves that you wear for MMA should fit snugly onto your hand. There’s not much point in a glove that is too tight, as tight gloves will restrict the blood flow to your hands, so you will be unable to use them in the way that you want to. Gloves that are too loose are no good either, as they can start to slide off during training or a fight.
