UFC light heavyweight contender Khalil Rountree Jr. shared a unique reason for the promotion’s abandoned glove design.
The UFC decided to revert back to its old glove design just seven months after its reconstruction. From April to November 2024, fighters donned gloves that were hoped to reduce eye pokes and hand injuries.
Championship fighters wore gold gloves for title fights, and Dana White’s Contender Series prospects wore blue gloves as they fought for UFC contracts. The new glove design drew mixed reviews from fighters, and it was briefly rumored that Jon Jones pressed the UFC to do away with the new gloves altogether.
Khalil Rountree Jr. shuts down ‘knockout’ theory behind UFC glove abandonment
After the UFC decided to go back to the old gloves for UFC 309 last November, speculation quickly ran rampant regarding the reason behind the abrupt change. Some speculated whether or not the sudden reduction in knockouts had to do with the new glove design.
According to one UFC star, the new gloves had one significant issue that fighters had to deal with in the middle of fights.
In a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Khalil Rountree Jr. revealed why the UFC did away with their new gloves, and the reason isn’t what you’d expect.
“The main thing was that because of the leather, the logos weren’t sticking,” Rountree said. “So the logos were peeling off, peeling off, peeling off. I’m telling you, we tried hundreds of different ways to get the UFC logo printed on the gloves so that they will not come off in the octagon. From me testing it on the canvas, doing live situations, sparring, rubbing it in the cage, it just wouldn’t [stay on].
“It has nothing to do with the knockouts,” Rountree continued. “It’s that every time when the fighters come to return a pair of gloves or whatever or even in the fight, it’s peeling off or chipping off and that’s a hazard if it gets in your eye. It’s more about the safety of the fighters, not like, ‘We need more knockouts, change the gloves.’
“It’s more that the logo wasn’t adhering and it doesn’t look professional to have these guys fighting a championship fight and then here’s this guy raising his hand and there’s no UFC logo on the glove. It all gets worn off.” (h/t MMA Fighting)
UFC analyst Joe Rogan has repeatedly touted MMA coach Trevor Wittman‘s glove design as the best in the sport. Wittman and the UFC were in brief negotiations to purchase the gloves, before talks stalled in recent years.
Rountree is 1-0 since the UFC decided to revert back to its old glove design. The former title challenger has a massive fight around the corner at UFC 320.
Khalil Rountree Jr. set to face former champ on stacked UFC 320 card
Meanwhile, Rountree will look to earn another light heavyweight title shot with a win in his upcoming fight against Jiri Prochazka at UFC 320. The light heavyweight bout features on the UFC 320 main card behind the event’s two title fights, including the Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira rematch.
Rountree will return after a win over Jamahal Hill at UFC Baku last month. Prochazka hasn’t fought since knocking out Hill at UFC 311 earlier this year.
Both Rountree and Prochazka are looking to earn potential rematches with Pereira after UFC 320. But if Pereira drops to 0-2 against Ankalaev, either light heavyweight will get the opportunity to dethrone the division’s new champion.