MMA gloves are one of the most important items of equipment for MMA. MMA fighters use a small light weight glove which offers less protection than boxing gloves, but allows you to use the hands for grappling as well.
The open palm and fingerless make means that the right areas are protected without them feeling too bulky. While many fighters will use boxing gloves for bag/pad work, MMA gloves can be brilliant for sparring and are obviously a necessity for fighting. The gloves are what protect both your hands from getting damaged and your opponent or sparring partner from getting injured, so it’s important to get these right. To find out more about other MMA gear, see our article What Gear Do You Need For MMA?.
Every person will have a different idea of what makes a pair of MMA gloves ‘good’, so there’s never going to be a clear answer on the single best pair of MMA gloves as it all comes down to personal preference. Instead, we spoke to a number of professional fighters from throughout the UK MMA scene about what pair of gloves they like the most.
Colin Fletcher
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“For me it’s always Lonsdale. They’ve been making gloves for forever so they’re tried and tested at looking after combat athletes hands!
I’d never wear MMA gloves to hit anything other than people in a fight though as I like my knuckles where they are so I use 10oz L-core pro boxing gloves to hit bags or pads and I core 16-20 oz for sparing
And to fight MMA Lonsdale 4oz pro MMA gloves.
Also helps that I’m lucky enough to be one of the very few MMA fighters sponsored by Lonsdale, but I’ve used other brands in the past and find them to be my preference regardless.”
Mark Jones
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“For me and it’s just my opinion it has to be Farabi, for comfort style and price they are great. I am sponsored by Farabi.”
Lee Chadwick
“I use Animosity Fight Gear they do everything from shorts/tops/gloves/bags etc, they sponsor me and they have Awesome quality gloves! They are very hard wearing and protect your hands well, that’s why I use Animosity!”
Tom Green
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“I think that a lot of hard work has been put into the new Blitz glove range, after suffering from wrist injures in the past I feel that Blitz have made a glove that not only protects the wrist but is also comfortable to wear for long periods of time in training!
I am sponsored by Blitz but do genuinely feel this. If I had to wear another make it would be Twins as the quality is insane!”
James Mulheron
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“I would probably say Lonsdale or Everlast are the best. They feel nice on your hands and protect them well.”
Ben Schneider
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“At the moment I use Dimex Grappling MMA Gloves. Over the years I have dislocated my thumb a few times so to find gloves that have the thumb covered is great. They feel good on as well and are a great price.
Would recommend to anyone looking for some.”
Jimmy Wallhead
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“I have been sponsored by Booster in the past but not for a while. I really prefer Booster gloves and they are a good fit, give good protection in the right areas and are durable and last a long time between purchases.”
Shay Walsh
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“The best gloves on the market right now are from Engage Fightwear. I’m sponsored by them and was lucky enough to try one of the new prototypes and would highly recommend them. Keep your eye out for lots of new Engage gear to hit the market soon.”
Scott Askham
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“I use Fairtex gloves. I have only had two pairs in 9 years, they are a good quality glove and long lasting.”
Kerry ‘Rocksteady’ Hughes
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“For my MMA I love the Lockdown Fightwear Punisher series, fit brilliantly and come in sizes small enough for ladies – not a common thing.”
So there you have it, the best MMA gloves according to some of the top Professional MMA fighters in the UK. There’s a lot of variety in the choices, so be sure to do your own research and read up on the reviews of some of your top choices. We’d also love to know what MMA gloves you think should make this list, so let us know down in the comments what gloves you think deserve to be top place!
Also, if you’re looking for some Muay Thai gloves, you might be interested in our similar article The Best Boxing Gloves for Muay Thai – According to UK Fighters.
*Please be aware that while the article is written to give you an idea of the brands of MMA gloves used by professionals, some of the fighters we spoke to may be sponsored. As always, we advise you to do your own research before making any purchases.