Sparring With MMA Gloves: 7 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t!

MMA gloves are not suitable for striking based spar because they don’t have enough padding to protect your knuckles, it allows punches to slip in easily and they are not durable enough to be used often for sparring.

Instead, MMA gloves is suitable when you are doing grappling based spar because it’s more flexible and have exposed finger tips.

If you are a boxer and are looking to spar with MMA gloves, you should not do this.

Taking part in sparring is important for fighters. It helps them prepare for real-life fights and improves their skills. However, many people are against sparring with MMA gloves because they believe boxing gloves are safer.

Many beginner fighters don’t know what gloves they should get and often get the wrong ones. Although it may seem like a small decision, the wrong gloves can cause wrist pain and damage your opponent, especially in sparring, where your main goal is to train and not hurt your opponent.

In this article, I will discuss whether you should buy MMA gloves for sparring.

Here are some of the reasons why you may not want to choose MMA gloves for sparring:

1. MMA gloves don’t protect your knuckles well: MMA gloves have less padding, potentially allowing you or your opponent to get seriously injured if you spar with MMA gloves. 
2. MMA gloves have a smaller surface area: This means it’s easy for your opponent to slip in punches and attack you, causing more damage and injury during the spar.
3. MMA gloves may not provide as much protection for the wrists: This can lead to joint problems in the long run, especially if you are a hard hitter.
4. MMA gloves may not provide sufficient grip when sparring, making it difficult to maintain your balance and control the fight.
5. MMA gloves are not very durable: They can tear easily in sparring, making them less effective for training or sparring.
6. MMA gloves may also not protect the hands: Your defense is not as effective, and you will suffer more damage, which should be avoided for sparring.
7. MMA gloves don’t offer the same resistance level as boxing gloves: You feel less satisfied when punching because you don’t feel much feedback like boxing gloves. Not only is this less satisfying, but it may also cause you to punch harder and harm your opponent. 

MMA gloves are designed to protect the hands and wrists from damage. They are much thinner than boxing gloves, less durable, and don’t have enough grip. However, there is always a risk of injury when sparring with MMA gloves.

When sparring with MMA gloves, you should lower your punching power by about 50%. Otherwise, your opponent will suffer. MMA gloves are extremely thin and light. They are usually about 4-6 oz. This does not offer enough protection. 

Sparring with MMA gloves is crucial for MMA training because they are much harder to block and cover up with than comfortable 12 oz boxing gloves. Also, consider using headgear and mouth gear during sparring. This will give lots of protection.

Boxing Gloves Hurt Less

Boxing gloves hurt the opponent less than MMA gloves. This is because the material used for MMA gloves is softer and less dense than boxing gloves, so they cause more damage when punched. 

The padding in boxing gloves protects the boxer’s hand during the fight. Boxers punch with less discomfort because of the padding in these gloves. And the opponents also receive less damage.

Boxing Gloves Are Safer

Because boxing gloves have more padding that offers greater hand protection than MMA gloves, so they are safer. MMA fighters suffer more hand injuries than boxers do because MMA gloves lack finger protection and only have padding on the knuckles.

Also, boxing gloves provide better protection against cuts and bruises to your opponent’s head and body because of the thicker padding.

On the other hand, MMA gloves contain a major lack of padding, making punches very powerful and raising the possibility of concussions for the opponent.   

MMA Gloves Are More Comfortable & Versatile

Boxing gloves are not as comfortable as MMA gloves. Because Mixed Martial Arts uses various techniques, the gloves are made flexible enough to allow fighting for boxers. 

Most MMA fighters are smaller and faster than boxers, so lightweight MMA gloves won’t slow them down, unlike heavier boxing gloves. Stretchy material is used in MMA gloves to allow for smooth movements.

They are also more comfortable to wear for extended periods due to their lighter weight than boxing gloves. 

Typically MMA fighters use both MMA and boxing gloves for sparring. When sparring for striking like boxing, it’s best to use boxing gloves to protect you and your opponent.

When sparring for takedowns and submissions, you could use MMA gloves. This is because your hands are free.

However, when using MMA gloves for sparring, remember to go easy on the punches. Don’t go full strength because your opponent will receive significant damage, even when the punch is blocked. 

Some fighters prefer to spar with boxing gloves because they provide more resistance than MMA gloves. Other fighters prefer to spar with MMA gloves because they allow them to move their hands more freely, especially those practicing takedown moves.

Typically, sparring gloves are made with a weight of 14-16 ounces or heavier. This is because these gloves help protect the hands and wrists from damage while also providing enough resistance to help improve hand-eye coordination and practice punches accurately. 

This depends on your weight class. The heavier you are, the heavier your sparring gloves should be. If you are 155 lbs. or below, use 14Oz sparring gloves. If you are over 155 pounds, use 16oz sparring gloves.

Generally, sparring gloves are merely extra-padded gloves worn to protect the other person in a fight. No matter your size or weight, most boxers will use gloves that weigh at least 16 ounces when they spar.

However, if you are over 175 pounds, you should spar with gloves that weigh at least 18 or 20 ounces. Remember to keep an eye out and ensure your opponent is not using smaller gloves than you because the unfair advantage will cause you to get hit more severely. 

There are a lot of factors you need to consider when buying sparring gloves. These gloves are meant to be used for training and not to cause harm to your opponent. Here are a few factors you need to consider before looking to buy sparring gloves:

1. Weight: Make sure it’s at least 14 oz and above for boxing sparring gloves. Anything lower, and you are going to damage your partner. For MMA gloves, try getting the heaviest ones for sparring and still going easy on your opponent while striking.
2. Protection: MMA gloves should offer good protection for the hands and wrists. Look for gloves that have a hard outer shell and thick padding inside. This will help protect you from punches and elbows while providing shock absorption.
3. Material & Durability: Check that the gloves are made with quality materials that will protect you from injuries. Some common materials used in sparring gloves are synthetic leather, canvas, or a mixture of both. Make sure the gloves are made with quality materials that will last a long time and provide you with the protection you need during training sessions and fights.
4. Size & Fit: Ensure the gloves fit snugly and do not move around when you punch or kick. This will help protect your hands and wrists from injuries. Ensure the gloves fit you properly, so they don’t slide off during training sessions or sparring. They should also be large enough to cover your entire hand, excluding your thumb, which is usually 18-20 inches long for men and 17-19 inches for women, but this depends on your hand size and shape.
5. Comfort: Gloves should be comfortable to wear and allow you to move your hands freely. They should not cause any discomfort or irritation while sparring or training. The glove should be snug without being uncomfortable or heavy. Your comfort level can tell you a lot about how content you’ll be punching with a glove. When wearing a glove with hand wraps, be careful that it isn’t excessively tight because doing so will restrict your hands’ ability to feel and circulate blood.
6. Cost: Make sure you get the best sparring gloves that fit your needs and budget. There are a variety of options available on the market, so it is important to find the right pair that will provide adequate protection and comfort for your workouts. Make sure the price of the gloves is affordable so you can afford to buy more than one pair, so you have a backup if one gets damaged or lost in a training session.
7. Customer Reviews: You should always read customer reviews before making a purchasing decision. This way, you can get an idea of what other people have experienced with the gloves and whether they found them to be effective or not. You can also use customer reviews to decide which gloves to buy based on your needs and preferences.

Below is a list of sparring gloves that I personally use over the years. Each have its pros and cons but overall great sparring gloves.

1. Venum Challenger MMA Gloves

Venum Challenger MMA gloves is One of the most highly rated MMA gloves on Amazon. These gloves come with a price tag of $44.99 to $67.00, depending on your size. It has small, medium, and large sizes. 

These gloves are made of faux leather and have a hook and loop closure. These gloves have layers of foam that allow for better protection.

The high wrist support is excellent due to its adjustable straps; these gloves are perfect shock absorbents. They also have an exclusive Velcro strap system that helps your hand with pre-positioning. 

Here are some of its pros and cons:

2. Combat Sports Max Strike MMA Training Gloves

The Combat Sports Max Strike MMA Training Gloves are also among some of the most highly rated gloves on Amazon. These gloves are made of leather and come with a price tag of $52.31 to $65.08, depending on your size. It has small, medium, large, and extra large sizes. 

The dimensions of these gloves are 4.01 x 4.01 x 13.01 inches, and they weigh about 0.71 pounds. They have a hook and loop closure type. These gloves have 2 inches of molded foam padding, making them the safest sparring gloves in MMA.

Because of their ergonomic fit and the hinged knuckles that allow you a full range of motion, they are very comfortable to wear. They also have a wraparound wrist strap for wrist support.

Here are some of its pros and cons:

3. RDX MMA Gloves

The RDX MMA Gloves are inexpensive compared to the other options, and they are among some of the best ones. They are made from faux leather and are best for grappling and sparring. These come with a price tag of $26.99. 

These gloves have a hook and loop closure type. The Maya hide leather helps these gloves with better tractability and good cracking resistance. They are easy to wear and difficult to tear. It has a hard build that is ideal for Muay Thai, kickboxing, and MMA.

They have Tri-slab padding that helps protect your hands and are designed for impact resistance. Lastly, these gloves have tightly packed needlework that retains the shape of the gloves even after hard sparring sessions.

Here are some of its pros and cons:

Sparring is an important part of boxing. Not only does it provide you with a controlled environment to practice and improve your skills, but it also helps you to develop new techniques.

There are pros and cons to practicing with MMA gloves, and there is no right or wrong answer. It all depends on your own needs and personal preference.