MMA Gloves Size Guide (How to Choose the Best Boxing Gloves)

MMA gloves have some distinctive differences from boxing gloves. And with different brands offering different styles and sizes, it can be hard to know how to pick the perfect size for your hands. So you’ve probably wondered, “what size of MMA gloves do I need?”

MMA gloves are usually sold in sizes 8oz, 10oz, 12oz, and 14oz, which refer to the weight of each glove. And you can find them in S, M, L, XL, and 2XL. Measure the dominant hand, excluding the thumb, to find the correct circumference of the hand and match that to the company’s size chart.

MMA gloves have undergone various changes through the years; it has evolved to provide additional safety features to protect fighters whenever they train and face each other in the ring or the Octagon.

Many people buy their gloves online and cannot try them on before purchasing, so knowing the right size to buy is crucial to them.

However, there is a lot of confusing information on the internet regarding choosing the right size of gloves. These differing opinions can make selecting the right pair of gloves a daunting and confusing task.

I can assure you, however, that it is not that difficult to find the right glove size for yourself. All you need is to correctly measure the circumference of your dominant hand with a tape measure, keeping your thumb out of the measuring tape, then look it up on a size chart.

If you have just started training in MMA and are interested in getting the right gear, this article is for you. Below is a detailed size chart to help you choose the perfect fitting gloves.

If you are interested in knowing what MMA gloves to buy, read till the end.

How do I know what size of gloves I need for MMA or boxing?

The introduction of gloves to MMA shows that the sport is more concerned about the safety of its fighters than the brutality of the sport. Intense combat sports like MMA, Boxing, and Muay Thai require protective gear like gloves to protect the fighter’s hands, knuckles, and face from injuries.

Choosing the right size gloves is important for your training and fights because an improperly fitting glove could cause more damage to your hands. Your MMA glove should fit snugly into your hand; you should be able to comfortably clench and unclench your hand into a fist when you are wearing it.

Boxing and MMA gloves are labeled with their weight.

So, for example, you could see a pair of MMA gloves labeled ‘10oz’, which means that is the weight in ounces. This weight is the physical weight of each glove and not the combined weight of both. So each hand will weigh 10 ounces.

The weight tells you how much padding and protection the glove gives. So depending on the reason for buying the glove, you might want a less padded glove or a glove with extra padding.

Unlike a boxing glove, different MMA glove sizes can have the same weights but be sold in different sizing to fit your hand size. So you can get a 4oz glove in small, medium, and large. To size up your hand for an MMA glove, measure the circumference of your hand, and match it against the sizing chart.

A size chart is crucial if you are buying your gloves online. MMA gloves are usually sold in sizes 8oz, 10oz, 12oz, and 14oz. And you can find them in S, M, L, XL, and 2XL.

For MMA gloves, your glove size depends on the circumference of your dominant hand.

To measure your hand circumference, take a measuring tape and wrap it around the fullest part of your hand (i.e., The area below the knuckles). Make sure your thumb is outside the tape. It is better to measure the circumference of your dominant hand because that is the hand doing the heavy lifting in your fights. So you need your glove to be a perfect fit for it.

The general size chart used in the MMA community is:

MMA GLOVE SIZE HAND CIRCUMFERENCE (in inches)
XXS >5.9
XS 6.3- 6.7
S 7.1- 7.5
M 7.9- 8.3
L 8.7- 9.1
XL >9.4

For boxing gloves, your glove size depends on your body weight and the circumference of your hand.

The size chart for boxing gloves is:

BOXER’S WEIGHT (pounds) HAND CIRCUMFERENCE (Inches) GLOVE SIZE
90-112 lbs 5.5″ – 6.5″ 8oz
112-132 lbs 6.5″ – 7.5″ 10oz
132-165 lbs 7.5″ – 8.5″ 12oz
165-190 lbs 8.5″ – 9.5″ 14oz
190-205 lbs 9.5″ – 10.5″ 16oz

The sizes above may vary slightly with brands, so when shopping online, check the manufacturer’s brand-specific size chart before purchasing.

What oz gloves does MMA use?

Professional MMA fighters usually use 4oz gloves (and 6oz for those that require bigger gloves). Amateurs fighting for the first time are advised to wear a heavier glove with 6oz padding.

Some companies like Ultra MMA make custom 8oz gloves for their fight events. MMA sparring gloves are usually sold in sizes 8oz, 10oz, 12oz, and 14oz.

Fun fact, you can use Muay Thai gloves for boxing. In fact, it gives you more protection on all sides of the hand for blocking. This is because the padding is added to both sides of the glove and the back to cushion the heavy impact of kicks and punches.

The only downside is that you will have less stability on the wrist.

Muay Thai is one of the most effective striking martial arts. It is very effective in Mixed Martial Arts because it takes the best techniques from boxing, kickboxing, and Jiu-Jitsu and creates moves that are both fast and deadly.

In a recent article, I explain why you should be proficient at it if you plan to be an MMA fighter. Just click that link to read it on my site.

Why are MMA gloves smaller than boxing gloves?

Boxing gloves are larger than MMA gloves because they have significantly less padding, making them look smaller, while boxing gloves are heavily padded.

There are a lot of differences between MMA gloves and Boxing gloves.

  • MMA gloves were made for grappling, while boxing gloves were made for striking. For better grappling, MMA gloves are made with significantly less padding and have open fingers design.
  • MMA gloves are open-handed to allow the fighter to grapple his opponent, while boxing gloves are closed cushion gloves.
  • In MMA gloves, the padding is concentrated on the knuckles. While in boxing gloves, there is the padding on all sides of the glove.

Can I use boxing gloves for MMA?

You will use both boxing gloves and MMA gloves if you train MMA. Boxing gloves and MMA gloves are designed for different purposes.

So it is better to have different models of gloves for various needs in the gym —for sparring, bag work, grappling, and partner drills.

Unlike boxing gloves, MMA gloves are adapted for grappling, allowing the fighter to grapple his opponent.

This is why MMA gloves are made with an open-finger design for effective grappling and grabbing. Boxing gloves, on the other hand, keep your entire hand in a fixed position.

So with a boxing glove, it would be difficult to execute some grappling submissions, like a kimura lock. The only finger movement you can do while using boxing gloves is squeezing your fist tight and keeping it loose.

On the other hand, boxing gloves are adapted for striking.

This is why its design is closed and heavily cushioned. While you train in the gym, it is okay to use boxing gloves for any hard sparring, intense bag work, or pad work.

The boxing gloves protect your hands while you punch and defend, decrease your punches’ overall force, and reduce superficial damage to your face, so you don’t have to walk around with a black eye and bruises after training. You can use boxing gloves when training with a heavy bag.

I will advise that you use thin bag gloves when training with a punching bag because it will help you learn better punch alignment and toughen your first two knuckles.

Bag gloves are specially designed for punching bags and usually come in sizes 8oz to 16oz.

In a recent article, I reviewed the best grappling dummies for MMA so that you can do extra practice at home or have an alternative when no sparring partner is available.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

What are the best MMA gloves?

MMA gloves come in different types depending on what you plan to use them for.

The types of MMA gloves are:

  • Sparring gloves: The sparring gloves are usually heavier and more padded than the other types. They weigh around 7oz to 10oz. Sparring gloves have focused padding on knuckles, thumbs, and areas where critical impact is expected. This allows for safer sparring sessions for you and your sparring partner. Some brands make it with an open-palm design, while others create a closed-palm design.

CLICK HERE to see my pick for the best MMA sparring glove on Amazon.

  • Grappling gloves: These allow for easier grappling training. Grappling gloves have more space for your fingers to move around, so you can have more grip when grappling. They also have the least padding compared to the other types. This is because it would be easier to move around on the ground with lightly padded gloves.

CLICK HERE to see my pick for the best MMA grappling glove on Amazon.

  • Training gloves: They are also called hybrid gloves in the world of MMA. It is primarily designed to be used for training; this is why it provides more comfort and finger allowance to the fighter. MMA training gloves allow you to focus on increasing your martial art skills and mastering your movement. It can be used for both grappling and striking, so it is highly beneficial for any type of training.

CLICK HERE to see my pick for the best MMA training glove on Amazon.

  • Competition gloves: Competition gloves are used in professional fights. These gloves are lightweight. Professional fighters typically use 4oz gloves (and 6oz for those that require bigger gloves). UFC allows even heavier gloves for larger-sized gloves, e.g., 2 XL – 4 XL. Amateurs fighting for the first time are recommended to wear a heavier glove with 6oz padding. Competition gloves are quite thin, so fighters use hand wraps to protect their hands and knuckles from injury.

CLICK HERE to see my pick for the best MMA competition glove on Amazon.

The main difference between the different types of gloves MMA fighters use is the weight of the padding. If you place an MMA competition glove beside a training glove, you will see a clear difference in the padding.

Using a different type of glove for a purpose that it is not designed for could cause injury to you and your training partner.

There are different brands making MMA gloves for whatever purpose you need.

Examples of popular MMA gloves are Venum Challenger MMA gloves, RDX MMA gloves, Hayabusa T3 MMA gloves, UFC MMA gloves (UFC official fight gloves), etc. These gloves are made from a variety of materials. Some are made from genuine leather, some are made from synthetic leather, and a few others combine both. High-quality gloves would last a long time.

A few of these manufacturers also make custom cages for gyms, MMA fights, and competitions.

In a recent article, I wrote extensively on the best MMA gloves for sparring and training. I considered 19 high-quality MMA gloves by listing their pros and cons.

I also mentioned the most popular choice, my top pick, and the best budget option. You should check it out to know the best product and suitable gloves for you.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

Conclusion

In this article, I discussed the notable differences between a boxing glove and an MMA glove and considered whether you could use boxing gloves during MMA training. I hope this size guide points you in the right direction regarding what MMA gloves to buy, depending on your needs.

Finding the right glove size is not hard.

It only requires the correct size chart and your measuring tape. Most manufacturers have their brand-specific size chart, so ensure you check it out before purchasing from an online store.


Image by Артём from Pixabay

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