Although both are fight sports, boxing and mixed martial arts use different rules and conventions. This affects not only how the athletes compete, but also the design of the equipment they wear. This is most evident in the gloves fighters of both styles wear, with each designed for the particulars of its sport.
Fingers
The the most noticeable difference between the two kinds of gloves probably is the treatment of the fighter's fingers. Boxing gloves go on like mittens, wrapping all the fingers in a single padded compartment. Mixed martial arts gloves separate the fingers like regular gloves and leave the final knuckles and fingertips exposed. This difference comes from the fact that MMA fighters need to be able to use their hands unencumbered during the grappling action of a match.
Padding
Another easily spotted difference between boxing gloves and MMA gloves is the amount of padding. Boxing gloves are heavily padded -- often with more than a pound of soft material. MMA gloves are sleeker, thinner and less padded. In boxing competition, a fighter delivers and receives hundreds of punches. Most of these punches go to the head. MMA competition includes punching, but also kicks and grappling holds. It doesn't require the level of protection for the head and hands that boxing does.
Closure
Traditional boxing gloves wrap around as much as half a fighter's forearms and are held in place by laces similar to those on your shoes. Mixed martial arts gloves rarely cover more than the top of the wrist and are held closed with a wrapping strap and Velcro tabs. It's worth noting that modern boxing gloves are also available with the strap-and-Velcro closure, though they aren't always permitted in sanctioned competition.
Wrist Wraps
Boxers wear wrist wraps around their hands and wrists to protect the wrist, knuckles and forearms from the impact of hundreds of punches. Boxing gloves are sized to accommodate this extra load. MMA fighters do not wear wrist wraps in competition, though some will wear them doing bag work in practice. Mixed martial arts glove sizes reflect this fact and have no extra room.
References
- Bill Packer; Kickboxing Coach; Bad Company Fight Team; Albuquerque, New Mexico
- MMA Underground: Boxing Gloves vs. MMA Gloves
- "MMA for Dummies"; Frank Shamrock; 2008
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