It is finally UFC 300 fight week and the tensions are palpable. Ahead of what promises to be one of the greatest nights in UFC and combat sports history, we still have a lot more to get through. As it turns out, we are set to get the first of the few surprises that the UFC has in store for fight week.
For the most part, fight week, especially for a card of such magnitude and importance, will include a lot of things. Be it media work, press conferences, weigh-ins, and more, it is always a busy time for the fighters. However, this time will be slightly different as according to reports, the UFC is set to announce and present their new gloves following the official weigh-ins on Friday morning.
🚨| The #UFC300 press conference will take place on Thursday at 17:00 PT, 20:00 ET, 01:00 GMT (Friday) and feature all 26 fighters on the card. 🎤 pic.twitter.com/XrjLaDHaAc
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) April 8, 2024
Previously, we also received word that the big press conferences with all the fighters on the card were set to return. Coming into the fight week, many including Max Holloway hinted that the promotion has many things cooked up for the event. Whilst there have been rumors of a potential Conor McGregor announcement soon, it appears that the new equipment presentation will be one of the new things in store for the fans and fighters.
Fans react to the news of UFC’s new glove announcement
All things considered, the fans are anxiously awaiting the unveiling of the new gloves. Notably, it is uncertain whether the gloves will be the current ones, specially branded for the auspicious event, or completely new gloves, designed from scratch. Since the emergence of the reports, fans have been hoping for the latter.
Recently, the UFC returned to Atlantic City for an event that was rife with eye pokes. In the past, we have seen the company introduce new gloves ahead of UFC 287 last year, which were supposedly meant to reduce eye pokes. However, considering what occurred during Chris Weidman vs Bruno Silva and Nursulton Ruziboev vs Sedriques Dumas before that, it would seem that the issue is far from solved.
i swear if they replace “UFC” with “PRIME” on the gloves instead of actually fixing the gloves then this company is officially cooked https://t.co/nXGWsJNTU1
— OOC MMA (@oocmma) April 9, 2024
Hope it’s something similar to the Trevor Whitman gloves not just some bs color change or something
— J.C (@JoseC2699) April 9, 2024
Thus, fans have taken to social media to make it clear what their preference was. As such, the fans do not wish to see yet another rebranding with PRIME and instead wish to see new gloves that will be helpful for the fighters. Notably, many have also called for the promotion to finally introduce the gloves that Trevor Wittman once proposed to Dana White and Co. If Chase Hooper is to be believed, then the UFC is making the right move.
How are Trevor Wittman’s gloves different from the UFC’s?
For those unaware, Trevor Wittman is the coach of many top UFC fighters like Kamaru Usman, Justin Gaethje, and Rose Namajunas. During JRE MMA Show #96, Wittman and Gaethje appeared on the podcast, speaking on numerous topics along with Joe Rogan. Among the topics touched upon by the trio was that of the gloves that the promotion uses.
As an alternative, Wittman showed Rogan the gloves he and the team over at ONX Sports had developed. Contrary to what the promotion had their fighters using, the ONX gloves kept the fighters hands from straightening out, reducing the pressure on their forearms and massively cutting down the risk of eye pokes. According to Wittman, he and the ONX team had presented the gloves to Dana White, who liked them a lot.
However, due to the UFC’s association with Dyaco, their manufacturing partners wanted to own the patented technology. As a result, no breakthrough could be made on the front. Notably, the same gloves were also presented by Rashad Evans on JRE MMA Show #90. As such, there is a lot of hope and expectation that the UFC has finally sealed the deal with ONX Sports to provide the fighters with a better alternative.