What’s the difference
A boxing glove closes your hand into a fist and carries 10 to 16 oz of padding. It’s great for striking, but you can’t grab with it. An MMA sparring glove weighs around 7 oz, has open fingers and a thinner palm, so you can catch an arm or a leg, control the clinch and work on the ground.
| Boxing | MMA sparring | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 10–16 oz | around 7 oz |
| Fingers | Closed into a fist | Open, free to grab |
| Padding | More, spread over the whole glove | Less, focused over the knuckles |
| Grappling and groundwork | No | Yes |
When to wear MMA gloves
- MMA sparring: strikes, clinch, takedowns and groundwork in the same round.
- Ground and pound drills, with agreed light contact.
- Short technical rounds on the bag or pads, to get used to the glove you spar in.
When to wear boxing gloves
- Stand-up-only sparring, when contact is harder.
- Long, hard bag work, where more padding looks after your hand and wrist.
- Boxing sessions within an MMA programme.
Keep contact lighter in MMA gloves
An MMA glove has less padding than a boxing glove, so the same punch lands harder. Spar under control in MMA gloves, and for harder stand-up agree with your coach to switch to boxing gloves. In MMA gloves you rely more on blocking and head movement, since the glove can’t work as a big shield the way a boxing glove does.
Some gyms set which gloves you wear for sparring. Ask your coach before you buy.
If you’re buying your first pair
If you train MMA, make your first pair MMA sparring gloves: you can do the whole session in them, from striking to groundwork. Add boxing gloves once you start doing more stand-up sparring or longer bag rounds.
CUTLINE sparring gloves are 7 oz, with open fingers, a protected thumb and a hook-and-loop wrist strap. You choose the size by your hand: see the size guide or measure with your phone.
No tape? Measure your hand with your phone.
MEASURE MY HANDFAQ
Can I spar in boxing gloves at MMA training?
For stand-up-only parts of a session, yes. For MMA sparring with grappling and groundwork, no, because boxing gloves won’t let you grab your opponent.
Are MMA gloves more dangerous than boxing gloves?
They have less padding, so a punch lands harder. That’s why sparring in them is done with controlled contact.
Do I need both pairs?
To start, MMA sparring gloves are enough. Add boxing gloves once you do more stand-up sparring or long bag work.