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UFC restarts talks with Trevor Wittman on glove design after earlier deal collapsed
The promotion contacted the coach roughly four weeks ago to revive licensing discussions that collapsed years earlier. Fighter Justin Gaethje has publicly criticized the current gloves.
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The UFC has restarted talks with coach Trevor Wittman about adopting his ONX glove design. UFC executive Hunter Campbell contacted Wittman three to four weeks ago to revive the discussions, Wittman said on Joe Rogan's podcast. An earlier agreement collapsed when the UFC sought outright ownership of the design instead of a licensing arrangement, according to MMA Mania.
No date has been set for any potential debut of the gloves. Justin Gaethje, who trains with Wittman, fought in noticeably different gloves at UFC Freedom 250 in January. He said the leather felt thicker and softer, removing the hand pain he usually feels between his fingers.
Gaethje described the standard UFC gloves as pulling the hand open when relaxed, requiring fighters to clench their forearms constantly to maintain a closed fist. He added that the open-hand position raises the chance of eye pokes because it matches the body's natural defensive reaction. The ONX glove uses internal strapping and a curved shape to keep fingers curled without extra effort.
The UFC introduced new gloves in June 2025 but returned to the prior model after knockout rates fell roughly 10 percent.
