A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing the Best MMA Gear

So, you’ve decided to train mixed martial arts. Congratulations on picking one of the most challenging sports in the world with a lot of competition. Maybe you’re thinking of taking classes, or you may have already started. Whatever the case, as with every sport, if not more, choosing the right gear is crucial for your performance. Selecting the appropriate equipment could be that one smallish advantage that gives you victory. Here’s everything you need to know.

What Gear Do You Need for MMA?

Technical MMA apparel and accessories are necessary for ultimate fighting, like any other full-contact sport, to provide protection, support, and performance. Getting a specialised martial arts fight wear can help you exude confidence while providing comfort, breathability, and complete freedom of movement. Here’s what you’ll need for your first MMA class/fight.

Rashguards

You need protection against abrasion because MMA training may be rough on the skin. A rash guard shirt shields the upper body from friction burns During exercise. Additionally, it will aid in preventing nail and finger marks.

You can choose between long and half-sleeve rash guards depending on which style is most comfortable for you. The compression fit of rash guards helps lessen muscle pain during training. It’s not even necessary to purchase compression fit separately.

Training Shirt

Rash guards and training shirts can provide additional protection when practising mixed martial arts. You can, however, utilise simply the training shirt if you’re new to mixed martial arts or if money is tight. There are several patterns and colours of training shirts to select from.

Shorts

You can practice MMA with your regular shorts, but they undoubtedly won’t go past the first session before falling apart. A unique purpose of MMA shorts is to endure the demands of MMA training. Thanks to their long-lasting fabric, they have a strong closure system, stretchability, and robust stitching.MMA shorts cost more than regular shorts but save you more money because you won’t need to replace them as frequently.

MMA Gloves

MMA gloves shield your wrists and hands while you work out. Though lighter, they’re constructed of the same material as boxing gloves. Because they have less padding, they typically weigh between 110 and 170 grams, yet they still offer sufficient knuckle protection. MMA gloves aren’t the best option if you’re seeking training gloves for heavy bags due to their thinner padding.

Durability and material are important considerations when purchasing MMA gloves. Select gloves with premium materials to prevent them from breaking down quickly. Your wrist should be able to accommodate the gloves quite loosely. You won’t be able to use hand wraps or inner gloves for extra protection and moisture absorption if your gloves are too tight. Wrist protection should be a standard feature on MMA gloves.

Sparring Gloves

Sparring gloves, made specifically for handling heavy bags, are more padded than MMA gloves. During heavy bag training, they provide more significant protection for your hand due to their weight. The material used to make them is identical to that used to make MMA gloves; a typical sparring glove weighs between 400 and 450 grams.

Mouthguards

In essence, mouthguards shield the inside of your mouth from being accidentally knocked out while you’re exercising. They lessen the force of blows to the jaw region through optimal jaw alignment.

There are numerous styles and high-quality mouthguards to choose from. The production of more recent mouthguard designs that have more usefulness involves innovations. The regular soft mouthguard made with headgear is the best option if you’re just starting in mixed martial arts.

Headgear

Headgear is essential if you plan to wrestle because it provides complete head protection. During MMA training, they absorb and lessen the force of hits to the head. You don’t need to purchase ear guards separately because most headgear has ear guard protection features.

There are various forms of headgear for a variety of uses. The open-face hat is the most popular kind. The face and chin remain exposed, but there is cushioning around the head to absorb impact. Compared to full-face equipment, it permits more prominent head movement and easier breathing. Full-facial protection is an optional feature of specific headgear that completely encloses the face. These are the best kinds of headgear for novices and light MMA training.

Since your head is the most vital organ in your body, you should invest in its defence and choose headgear that provides excellent protection and is incredibly comfortable, light, and sturdy. That’s not an area where you want to cut costs on the equipment.

Shin Guards

The padding and protection of regular shin guards are comparable to that of MMA gloves. The defence that various shin guard designs offer is similar or nonexistent. The fitting of your shin guard is the most crucial factor. That primarily depends on your shin length and height.

What to Consider when Buying MMA Fight Wear and Gear?

Here are a few factors to consider when choosing your martial arts fight wear and gear to maximise your full potential.

Comfort

Wearing your MMA gear, you will spend hundreds of hours on the mats, in the ring, in the cage, and around your facility. Thus, it should fit you comfortably if you wear it for extended periods. While you’re evading your opponent in the ring, the last thing you want is to have to make adjustments to ill-fitting gear. Verify the appropriate size for you and the quality of the materials used to construct your equipment so that it won’t irritate your skin.

Durability

Although purchasing inexpensive gloves to save a few bucks can seem appealing, give it some second thought. Experienced mixed martial artists use powerful strikes – therefore, your equipment must be resilient to repeated knocks. All gear, including MMA gloves, athletic cups, and shin guards, must be long-lasting. Investing a little more money on a durable, high-quality product is preferable to buying cheap stuff and replacing your equipment every few months.

Protection

Wearing gloves in mixed martial arts is more for hand protection than target protection. Avoid being like the former WEC fighter Urijah Faber, who suffered through every round of a title episode after breaking one of his hands in the first!

Hygiene

Whether you like it or not, MMA gyms will encourage bacteria spread. Investing in readily cleaned equipment will help you stay healthy. To put it mildly, you won’t be tapping people out while confined to the hospital with a staph infection, so make sure your supplies are machine-washable.

Some of the equipment you encounter uses anti-microbial technology, which helps prevent infections and odours. Antimicrobial materials will save you a lot of trouble, so when given the choice, certainly go towards them.