UFC's new gloves under fire as John McCarthy and several fighters sound alarm on design

Former MMA referee John McCarthy recently shared his thoughts on the UFC's new fighter gloves and explained why their design would prove ineffective in preventing eye pokes during bouts. McCarthy's concerns were later echoed by several UFC stars like Dustin Poirier and Sean Strickland.

For context, the promotion introduced new gloves for the fighters ahead of the UFC 302 event last weekend. The gear has undergone some visual and technical changes, including a weight reduction, extra padding on the sides, an eye-poke prevention structure, and a lack of seams to reduce cuts.

While many have lauded the UFC's efforts, McCarthy remains critical of the gloves' design and recently stated that the new gear will do little to prevent eye pokes. During an interview on the MMA Today show, the renowned MMA referee said:

"Yeah, they changed the gloves, they put a sensor in it. Great. They did carve down as far as the big blocky thing... I think for grappling, it's better. They did not put in that curve that's needed. Right now, when you put on those gloves, your hand is in a position where your fingers are straight-out relaxed."

McCarthy continued:

"You have to squeeze to make your fist, and when you unsqueeze your hand, automatically, your fingers kind of go straight. It needs to be where you actually have to work to straighten your fingers, that's when you're going to start getting away from the eye pokes and that's what needs to be done."

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MMA stars echo John McCarthy's opinions on the UFC's new gloves

John McCarthy isn't the only one who is critical of the UFC's new gloves. Given that the new gloves debuted at the UFC 302 event, several fighters featured on the fight card shared their takes on the updated gear. As mentioned, McCarthy was particularly reproving of the gloves' inability to prevent eye pokes during fights.

Going along with what McCarthy said, several UFC superstars shared their opinions on the new gloves. Despite the design updates, fighters like Sean Strickland, Dustin Poirier, and Islam Makhachev criticized the gloves.

Here's what some other fighters had to say about the gloves:

Sean Strickland:

Strickland took no hostages while voicing his thoughts on the new gloves and slammed the designers for not knowing what MMA fighters need. When asked about the gloves, he said:

"Yeah, they suck. Can we talk to the person who designed these gloves? Have you ever been in a fight in your f**king life?... How did you a**holes think this was a good idea? They absolutely suck. UFC dropped the ball on that one."

Randy Brown:

Brown concurred with McCarthy's take on the new gloves as far as eye pokes were concerned. During an interview with Ariel Helwani, he said:

"It's definitely a puncher's glove. As for eye pokes, as you can tell, [last] Saturday night, it's really not gonna make a difference. I don't think it's too much of a difference there."

Dustin Poirier:

While Poirier admitted the new gloves were more comfortable, he stated that they were bound to cause more cuts. At the UFC 302 media day, he said:

"I think they're more comfortable. It's easier to make a fist. I do think there might be more cuts because the padding isn't as dense. I feel like the knuckles are gonna pierce through that padding that they have and cause more cuts, I think. But I like 'em better, they're more comfortable to make a fist in."

Islam Makhachev:

Makhachev echoed Poirier's thoughts on the new gloves and stated that they would cause more cuts due to their stiffness. In an interview with Sport 24, he said:

"The new gloves are very stiff. They will cause more cuts, as the previous UFC gloves were softer. These are stiffer. They don't let you fully open your hand just to make sure fingers don't extend straight forward.