It’s in with the old guard and bye-bye with the new (looking at Tom Aspinall). The undisputed Jon Jones makes a return at UFC 309 headliner against Stipe Miocic this weekend. It’s also out with the ‘new’ and in with the old – when it comes to UFC Fight Gloves – at least for now.
After Saturday’s UFC 309 card at MSG in New York, fighters and their teams were told the old-style gloves would be used. Brass will reissue the company’s old gloves that went out at UFC 302 PPV earlier this year. MMA insider Ariel Helwani was the first to report the change.
UFC has informed the fighters competing on Saturday’s 309 card in NYC that they will be using the old gloves not the new ones introduced back in June, per multiple sources. Specific reason unclear at the moment.
Ariel Helwani via X – @arielhelwani
The new UFC Official Fight Glove redesign – called the “3Eight” and “5Eight” went public during UFC 300’s fight eve. MMA Coverage journo John Morgan posted that the UFC 300 official weigh-in programs had a new media kit announcement. Subsequently, “UFC 300 ‘Embedded,’ No. 4 Vlog” saw select fighters try them on. Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier were the first on the roster to use them.
UFC has informed the fighters competing on Saturday’s 309 card in NYC that they will be using the old gloves not the new ones introduced back in June, per multiple sources. Specific reason unclear at the moment.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 12, 2024
The one card @JonnyBones is on and they use the old gloves?
Sounds fishy. Expect to see eye pokes, folks.
— anonymemphis.eth (@anonymemphis) November 12, 2024
‘Eye-poke king’ Jon Jones, who finally returns for his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic, will don the old gloves. Coincidence? The fighter himself has said so on the occasion of his pokes. While the MMA clique went on to voice a screw-up or GOAT pandering by the New York Athletic Commission, there could be valid underlying reasons for it all.
Knockouts down 10% after new gloves debut? ‘Poke’ the situation
The redesigned gloves have been used by the promotion at every event since June 1. When the new-style glove design came out, the promotion touted improved construction along with different fit and material. Motives for the changes included attempting to prevent poked eyes and broken hands. However, with the streamlined spacing and sleek build, the connections were anything but substantial.
People with knowledge indicated that this could very well be the reason for a switch-up. The knockout rate was fairly consistent from the start of 2021 until the mid-year change in 2024, hovering in the 31-34 percent range. This was according to data compiled by MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn.
Since switching to the new gloves on UFC 302 (June of 2024) we’ve seen a significant increase in decisions and decrease in knockouts
Since May 2024: 60.3% Dec 22.9% KO
— hayjive (@hayjivepicks) October 10, 2024
To summarize: since switching to the new gloves, UFC fights have seen an 11.5 % increase in fights going to decision compared to the prior 3 year average, and a 10% decrease in fights ending by knockout compared to the prior 3 year average.
— hayjive (@hayjivepicks) October 10, 2024
Since implementation, however, the knockout rate has fallen to 22.9 percent. The decision rate has increased by 11.5%. The correlation is hard to miss after UFC 303 on the 29th of June, a card in which there were five TKOs/knockouts. Knockouts have dropped 10 percent inside the Octagon from June to October 2024, which saw a lack in PPV spotlight-worth performances; UFC 306 remains an example.
Furthermore, there have only been three knockouts in the last three weeks. One of them was Ilia Topuira’s brutal finish of Max Holloway in Abu Dhabi. The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) hasn’t addressed the inquiry as to why Jon Jones, Stipe Miocic, and the UFC 309 lineup are getting these. Only time will tell if the UFC brass reveals the reason.
