MMA gloves
MMA gloves: 5 open-finger models, from recreational to club sparring
The essentials: 5 models of MMA glove — open-finger mitts with a free palm, which let you strike and grip. From a recreational glove in 10 designs to genuine leather UFC, taking in two Esprit Boxe sparring colourways and a version customisable with your club logo. Sizes S to XL depending on the model. Free standard shipping.
🥋 Why an MMA glove has open fingers
Because in MMA the hand does more than one thing. It strikes, but it also has to grip an opponent's shorts or neck, control a wrist, pass a guard, lock a submission. A boxing glove, which seals the hand into a closed fist, makes all of that impossible.
Hence the construction: padding concentrated over the knuckles, fingers free from the second phalanx, and a bare palm. The glove protects the point of impact and leaves everything else available.
The trade-off is real and worth knowing: less padding means less absorption. An MMA glove weighs 4 to 7 oz where a boxing glove weighs 8 to 16. It protects the hands of the person striking and the head of the person receiving, but less than a boxing glove — which is why MMA sparring is done at controlled intensity, and why you switch to boxing gloves as soon as you want to hit hard on the feet.
⚖️ MMA glove or boxing glove
| Criterion | MMA glove | Boxing glove |
|---|---|---|
| Fingers | Open, knuckles free | Closed, hand fully enclosed |
| Palm | Bare, to grip and control | Padded, fist permanently closed |
| Usual weight | 4 to 7 oz | 8 to 16 oz |
| What it allows | Strike, grip, pass the guard, submit | Strike only |
| Protection for the partner | Reduced padding over the knuckles | Thick padding, absorbs more |
| Disciplines | MMA, grappling with strikes, MMA sparring | Boxing, Muay Thai, kickboxing, K-1 |
One practical consequence: these are two gloves, not a choice. An MMA practitioner who spars on the feet uses boxing gloves for stand-up work, and MMA gloves for the complete game with the ground.
🔍 Which model for which use
| What you are after | The model | What it brings |
|---|---|---|
| Starting out or training recreationally | Recreational MMA | Synthetic leather, 10 designs to choose from, open-finger mitts |
| Regular club sparring | Sparring black and gold | Open palm, high-density foam, long hook-and-loop strap |
| The same glove in another colourway | Sparring black and yellow | Open palm, high-density foam, long hook-and-loop strap |
| Genuine leather | Genuine leather UFC | Leather, open fingers, hook-and-loop closure, 4 sizes S to XL |
| Kitting out a club in its colours | Custom | Your logo, 11 colours, leather, PU or microfibre, free mock-up |
📏 Your size
An MMA glove is not chosen by weight like a boxing glove, but by hand size: S, M, L or XL depending on the model. It has to be snug — a glove that is too big rotates around the hand at the moment of a grip, and the fingers stop lining up with the openings.
The marker: the padding bar should sit on the knuckles, not above them and not on the fingers. The long hook-and-loop strap then tightens the wrist; that is what locks the glove in place, not the hand. Two models come in M and L only, the two Esprit Boxe sparring colourways. The UFC leather glove and the custom gloves cover S to XL.
🥊 Do you need wraps under MMA gloves?
Yes, and even more than in boxing. Because the padding is reduced, it is the wraps that hold the wrist and bind the metacarpals. Without them, the wrist gives on the first misaligned impact.
Use short wraps or inner gloves: a 4.5 m wrap intended for a boxing glove creates too much bulk inside a close-fitting mitt and stops the fingers seating properly. See our hand wraps.
🏷️ Kitting out a club
The custom MMA gloves print your logo onto MMA sparring gloves, in 11 colours, in leather, PU or microfibre, from S to XL. Free mock-up before manufacture, from 5 pairs.
To complete an MMA club's kit: MMA rash guards, shin guards and the custom club training set follow the same principle.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between MMA gloves and boxing gloves?
The fingers and the palm. An MMA glove has open fingers and a bare palm: it lets you strike but also grip, control and submit. A boxing glove seals the hand into a closed fist. The weight follows: 4 to 7 oz against 8 to 16 oz.
Can you box in MMA gloves?
For technical work and controlled sparring, yes. For hard stand-up striking, no: the reduced padding protects your hands less and your partner's head less. MMA practitioners keep a pair of boxing gloves for stand-up work.
How do I choose the size of MMA gloves?
By hand size, not weight. The glove should be snug: the padding bar sits on the knuckles, not above them and not on the fingers. A glove that is too big rotates around the hand at the moment of a grip. Models run from S to XL depending on the reference.
Do I need wraps under MMA gloves?
Yes, and more so than in boxing: because the padding is reduced, it is the wraps that hold the wrist and bind the metacarpals. Go for short wraps or inner gloves — a 4.5 m wrap creates too much bulk inside a close-fitting mitt.
Which MMA glove should a beginner choose?
The recreational MMA glove, in synthetic leather with 10 designs to choose from, covers first steps and recreational practice. As soon as sparring becomes regular, the Esprit Boxe sparring models bring high-density foam and a long wrist strap.
Can MMA gloves be customised with a club logo?
Yes, with the custom MMA gloves: your logo, 11 colours, leather, PU or microfibre, from S to XL. Free mock-up before manufacture, orders from 5 pairs.
The Esprit Boxe world
For stand-up striking: our boxing gloves, more than 90 models from PU to genuine leather, and our hand wraps. For MMA: our MMA rash guards, our boxing shorts, our shin guards and our MMA cages. For protection: boxing headgear, mouthguards and protective gear.