The UFC is set to host Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic this weekend at UFC 309. In what is billed to be one of the biggest events of the year, a controversial change has been reported.

Ahead of Saturday’s UFC 309 card at Madison Square Garden in New York, competing fighters and their teams were notified the old-style MMA gloves will be used. It is worth noting that the new-style ones were implemented on June 1. What’s more concerning is the fact that the teams were notified on Tuesday, though the reasoning for the decision to revert is unclear.

The news was first reported by MMA Journalist Ariel Helwani. The new-style gloves have been used by the promotion in every event since June 1. In the initial revelation of the glove design, the promotion touted better construction, fitting, and material. The motives for the changes included an attempt to prevent eye pokes and broken hands for fighters.

Have the new MMA gloves decreased the KO percentage in the UFC?

Since the implementation of the new-style gloves, fans and media members have questioned if the design has led to a decrease in knockouts and TKOs in fights. Moreover, the knockout rate from the start of 2021 to the mid-year change in 2024 was fairly consistent, which was around the 31-34 percent range.

Since the implementation, however, the knockout rate has decreased to 22.9 percent. The decision rate has increased 11.5 percent.

Following UFC 303 on June 29, a card during which there were five TKOs/knockouts, UFC CEO Dana White was asked about the change in design and it’s potential contribution to a lack of stoppages and admitted he wasunsure and couldn’t say it for certain.

However, in an interview with TNT Sports, ahead of UFC 308 in October, Dana White seemed a little less eager to credit the correlation. He said:

“Who the hell knows? Who can really gauge that? … I don’t think… I haven’t even thought about that. The fact anybody is even talking about that is actually kind of silly, that there would be less knockouts because of the gloves. I’ve seen plenty of knockouts since the new gloves.”

Comparing old UFC gloves vs new UFC gloves

The UFC introduced the new gloves in April 2024, and as stated, the gloves made their first appearance at UFC 302 in June. The gloves come in the 3EIGHT and 5EIGHT series, designated for three-round and five-round bouts, respectively. Their design and manufacturing are the same, with variations only in colour and graphics.

The new gloves come in 10 unisex sizes, signifying a shift from the previous gloves’ male-female distinction. The new gloves weigh between 3-4.9 oz, representing a 1-1.5 oz reduction compared to the old gloves.

The new gloves, which like the old ones remain fingerless and have fewer seams on the outside to minimize the possibility of abrasions and cuts. Moreover, new foam is added to provide maximum flexibility and impact-absorbing protection, according to the UFC.

Since UFC 302, non-title bouts on the UFC main roster feature traditional black gloves, while championship fights utilize golden gloves. The UFC’s ‘TUF’ (The Ultimate Fighter) reality series battles have a different shade of black-colored gloves, while ‘DWCS’ (Dana White’s Contender Series) fights have blue-colored gloves, and the ‘Road to UFC’ fights have red-colored gloves.

The gloves have been designed by the Certor Sports-owned VICIS RDI. As reported in a report on the UFC’s official website, VICIS has prioritized athlete safety while designing the new gloves. It’s been noted that the US-based sports equipment manufacturing company ergonomically designed the gloves for superior fitting with high-quality foam-layered protection, safeguarding the hand’s delicate bones.

Why is UFC using old MMA gloves for UFC 309?

Since it has been announced that the fighters will be wearing old gloves at UFC 309, there is a lot that has been speculated. The gloves used in the UFC have always been criticized for exposed fingers and how they are more likely to cause eye pokes than those of different promotions.

While the UFC looked to change this with their new gloves, the decision to go back to their old gloves for UFC 309 seems confusing. Fans are wondering about the possible reasons for the same, however, there is no official statement from the UFC around the same.

That said, it would be interesting to see what reason the UFC gives about this decision as the event comes closer.

UFC 309 full fight card

The highly anticipated UFC 309 will be headlined by Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. On the co-main event, Michael Chandler will go up against Charles Oliveira. That said, take a look at the full fight card below:

Main card

• #C Jon Jones (27-1-0) vs. #8 Stipe Miocic (20-4-0)
• #2 Charles Oliveira (34-10-0) vs. #7 Michael Chandler (23-8-0)
• Bo Nickal (6-0-0) vs. Paul Craig (17-8-1)
• #9 Viviane Araujo (12-6-0) vs. #11 Karine Silva (18-4-0)
• Mauricio Ruffy (10-1-0) vs. James Llontop (14-4-0)

Preliminary Card

• #13 Jonathan Martinez (19-5-0) vs. Marcus McGhee (9-1-0)
• Chris Weidman (16-7-0) vs. Eryk Anders (16-8-0)
• #6 Nikita Krylov (30-9-0) vs. #11 Azamat Murzakanov (14-0-0)
• Jim Miller (37-18-0) vs. Gabriel Benitez (23-7-1)
• David Onama (12-2-0) vs. Lucas Almeida (15-3-0)
• #9 Marcin Tybura (25-9-0) vs. Jhonata Diniz (8-0-0)
• Mickey Gall (7-6-0) vs. Ramiz Brahimaj (10-5-0)

Sidekick MMA gloves: new edition out soon

At Sidekick, we believe in making quality products for our consumers. Our brand has been trusted by many professional fighters and people who are starting up in combat sports.

While we have had MMA gloves in the past, we are currently redesigning our product to meet the needs of the fighters of today’s day and age. Our gloves will weigh 4oz and have extra soft padding to protect the hands of the fighters and provide unmatched comfort.

It is worth noting that the previous edition of our gloves has been used in many promotions in the UK, including FCC, where fighters have gone on to the UFC, and BCMMA, which is now owned by Cage Warriors.

Conclusion

The UFC’s decision to change their gloves for UFC 309 and have fighters wear their previous edition gloves is certainly confusing. The decision might have been because of state fighting regulations but nothing seems confirmed at the moment.

As the event approaches, it would be interesting to see if the UFC gives any explanation regarding the matter. Moreover, it is also in question if the UFC is moving back to their old gloves permanently.

All these questions will only be answered by the promotion. Even if they are not, fans can expect to witness an action-packed event this weekend.

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