The Leon Edwards vs. Belal Muhammad main event of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 21 ended with an eye poke and a No Contest. This is why Muhammad screamed.
Ohhh shit 😬👀 pic.twitter.com/MUKwPH659S
— Kazula Vargas 👹 (@kazulavargasufc) March 14, 2021
The incident once again spurring calls for better gloves.
This is what we need @ufc #UFCVegas21 pic.twitter.com/9jFUI3mEpJ
— TheEpicSalad â„¢ (@TheEpic_Salad) March 14, 2021
Bruh can we do something about these gloves
— Vince Morales (@vandetta135) March 14, 2021
I think a curved glove would solve a large percentage of eye pokes. #UFCVegas21
— Matt Schnell (@DANGER_Caged) March 14, 2021
We need new gloves. Period!
They’re out there. I just don’t understand what we’re waiting for to make these changes. How many more eye injuries do we need to bring these new gloves in, that significantly reduce the spreading of the fingers.#UFCVegas21
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) March 14, 2021
We need new gloves. Period!
They’re out there. I just don’t understand what we’re waiting for to make these changes. How many more eye injuries do we need to bring these new gloves in, that significantly reduce the spreading of the fingers.#UFCVegas21
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) March 14, 2021
There is a potential solution.
https://twitter.com/laramietj/status/1370941428432519170
Both Sterling and Laramie are referring to ONX gloves developed by two-time World MMA Awards MMA coach Trevor Wittman.
UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans discussed the gloves during an appearance last year on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
As you know, when you get the gloves now, they’re like cardboard, said Evans, as transcribed by Ryan Harkness for MMA Mania. They always want to open your hand. This allows your hands to stay in a natural fist locked position, and you don’t gotta worry about that.
UFC light heavyweight “Smil’n” Sam Alvey was equally enthusiastic.
These ONX gloves are incredible, said Alvey on his social network. Trevor Wittman was my coach on the Ultimate Fighter so when I broke my hand for the second time I hit him up. He sent me a pair and I can punch as hard as I can against, like, a brick wall since then. Highly recommend the ONX gloves and as much of a problem I don’t think the UFC gloves are currently, they could get better and these ONX gloves are better.
Unfortunately, as Whittman explained during an appearance on the JRE MMA Show #96 (1:43:00 mark), he took the gloves to UFC president Dana White, who responded positively, but negotiations ended around UFC attorney concerns around patent ownership.
White has figured out how to hold a full year of events during the COVID-19 global pandemic, and can doubtless figure out how to get the right gloves for the sport. Whatever the cost, it’s less than damaged corneas and fizzled main events.
