Mixed martial arts and the UFC has a longstanding problem that isn’t about strikes or submissions; it’s about eye pokes. These accidental gouges have halted championship bouts and endangered fighters’ vision, highlighting a critical safety flaw in the sport. After decades of frustration, renowned coach Trevor Wittman decided to tackle this issue head-on with an innovative glove redesign. Let's examine how ONX MMA gloves are engineered to mitigate eye pokes, and why many in the MMA community believe they could make fights safer.
The Danger of Eye Pokes in UFC
Eye pokes are more than just painful; they can be fight-ending and career-threatening. In recent years, numerous high-profile bouts have been marred or cut short due to an errant finger to the eye. For instance, a 2025 UFC heavyweight title fight between Ciryl Gane and champion Tom Aspinall ended in a no-contest after Gane accidentally poked Aspinall “knuckle deep” in the eye. Aspinall’s vision was compromised, forcing the referee to halt the contest, and UFC President Dana White called the situation “devastating”. Such incidents underscore how fighter safety and match outcomes hang in the balance when an eye poke occurs.
Beyond immediate fight stoppages, eye pokes can cause serious injuries like corneal abrasions, torn eyelids, or even retinal detachment. Former UFC champion Michael Bisping famously suffered a detached retina (among other eye injuries) during his career, contributing to permanent vision loss in one eye. While not all these injuries result from pokes (strikes can also cause damage), open-fingered gloves make inadvertent pokes a constant threat. In MMA, fighters often keep their hands open for grappling, and the standard glove design doesn’t do enough to prevent extended fingers from jabbing an opponent’s eye during scrambles or striking exchanges.
Why Traditional MMA Gloves Fall Short
Many experts point out that conventional MMA glove design is partly to blame for the prevalence of eye pokes. The official UFC gloves, for example, have a relatively flat shape with the fingers not significantly curved. This design tends to keep a fighter’s hand open, causing the fingers to stick straight out naturally. Fighters have even complained that making a tight fist in these gloves is difficult because of how the glove shapes the hand. Bellator fighter Michael “Venom” Page, after moving to UFC, remarked that the UFC gloves were “nowhere near as comfortable” as Bellator’s more curved gloves. Veteran UFC fighter Matt Brown echoed that sentiment, noting that in Pride FC (a Japanese promotion known for curved gloves), if you relaxed your hand in their gloves, “your hand was basically in a fist” – a stark contrast to the UFC’s equipment.
The result of the old design is that fighters often extend their fingers unintentionally, especially when posting a hand out to gauge distance or defend. Even disciplined athletes can poke an eye when reactions take over; as Justin Gaethje explains, if a fighter is startled or fighting off a takedown, the natural human reaction is to throw arms out with fingers splayed. Current gloves actually exacerbate that problem: “even when you were trying to make a fist it would still promote [an open] position,” Gaethje said of the old UFC gloves. In short, traditional gloves have design flaws that contribute to eye pokes, from forcing fighters’ hands open to providing poor ergonomics that make it uncomfortable to keep a fist.
Trevor Wittman’s Mission for a Safer Glove
Trevor Wittman is no stranger to solving fight problems. A 3x MMA Coach of the Year and head coach to champions like Justin Gaethje, Rose Namajunas, and Kamaru Usman, Wittman also founded ONX Sports, a company dedicated to improving combat sports gear. Having spent decades taping fighters’ hands and seeing the shortcomings of existing gloves, Wittman was motivated to “eliminate the flaws fighters have accepted for decades”. He watched fighters deal with hand injuries, awkward hand positioning, and, of course, eye pokes, and refused to accept that this was just “part of the sport.”
Around 2019, Wittman began prototyping a new MMA glove designed to reduce eye pokes and hand injuries. He publicly unveiled his design a couple of years later, notably on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, where former UFC champion Rashad Evans demonstrated the gloves. The motivation was clear: fighter safety. Eye pokes were a top priority, but Wittman also sought to improve overall hand protection (reducing broken hands and sprained wrists that plague fighters in training and competition).
Gaethje, one of Wittman’s star pupils, was closely involved in testing the gloves. He noted that the standard UFC glove was “very uncomfortable” and didn’t allow a natural hand position – “your fingertips are going numb and your hands are in pain... in places you didn’t know there would be pain,” Gaethje described. Those were the issues Wittman’s team set out to solve. As Gaethje put it, “we would love for it to be our gloves [used in the UFC]... these were the issues that we were trying to solve”. From the outset, the redesign aimed to promote a comfortable closed-fist position and minimize the chance of accidental eye pokes, all while offering better hand support.
Inside the Design: How ONX Gloves Mitigate Eye Pokes
Wittman’s ONX MMA Fight Gloves incorporate several innovative design elements to address the shortcomings of traditional gloves. These technical and structural features work together to keep fighters’ fingers safely curled and away from eyes:
Pre-Curved Finger Shape
The most notable feature is the glove’s natural inward curve. Unlike flat gloves, the ONX glove is engineered so that it “automatically moulds a fighter’s hand into a tighter fist”. In other words, the glove's default state is a slightly closed hand. This curved profile prevents fighters from naturally splaying out their fingers during action. Extending the fingers straight requires a conscious effort against the glove’s shape. As Rashad Evans explained while showcasing Wittman’s glove, “This allows your hands to stay in a natural fist-locked position… curved right away”. By making a closed fist the path of least resistance, the design greatly reduces accidental eye pokes – fighters aren’t inadvertently pawing with open hands because the glove isn’t pushing their fingers outward. Joe Rogan compared the concept to the beloved Pride FC gloves, saying, “That’s way better... It’s better than the ones UFC is using right now”.
Innovative Strapping System (X-Factor Wrist Support)
Wittman’s gloves feature a patented “X-Factor” strapping system that secures the wrist and hand in place. Instead of relying on traditional wraps or simple velcro, the glove has an internal lacing mechanism that you tighten once your hand is inside. This system “firmly holds the wrist and all of its ligaments in place”, essentially locking the wrist joint and lower hand bones together for stability. The benefit is twofold: it prevents wrist injuries (by eliminating the risk of accidentally rolling or hyperextending the wrist on impact) and it encourages proper punching form. With a stable wrist, a fighter’s hand naturally aligns in a fist behind their knuckles, discouraging any loose, open-handed techniques. Evans highlighted this on the podcast, noting the strapping keeps everything “in place... so that you don’t get that boxing break in your hands” (thumb or hand injuries) and maintains alignment of muscles, ligaments, and bones. By keeping the hand structurally sound, a fighter is less likely to open the hand wide or adjust their fingers mid-fight in search of comfort or stability.
Enhanced Materials and Grip
Another subtle but essential design choice was removing hard leather from the palm and underside of the glove. In standard MMA gloves, the palm area (where the fingers meet the glove) often has leather that can become slippery with sweat. Wittman’s gloves utilize different materials in the wrist and palm regions to enhance grip and minimize slippage. By doing so, the gloves help prevent the hand from sliding around inside when things get sweaty. A fighter’s knuckles stay put in the glove padding, and fingers are less likely to slip free or extend out accidentally during grappling exchanges. The improved grip and comfort may seem minor, but it means a fighter isn’t compelled to open their hand to readjust the glove or wipe sweat mid-fight. Combined with the pre-curved shape, everything about the glove’s construction nudges the fighter towards keeping a closed fist whenever possible.
Comfort and Padding Distribution
The overall comfort and padding of the ONX gloves deserve mention. Extra padding over the knuckles and a strapping system that helps prevent common hand injuries that happen during competition. Fighters report that the gloves feel like a “second skin” and significantly reduce hand fatigue. This matters because a fighter with tired hands might unconsciously relax their fingers (opening the hand) to shake out tension. Wittman’s gloves aim to eliminate those pressure points, Gaethje noted that in the old gloves you’d feel pain “between your knuckles” and strange pressure spots, whereas the new design alleviates that. A fighter who isn’t distracted by discomfort can maintain proper hand position throughout the fight.
How ONX Gloves Differ from Traditional UFC Gloves
It’s worth emphasizing just how revolutionary Wittman’s glove design is compared to the status quo. Traditional MMA gloves (like the UFC’s standard issue) have barely changed in decades, they typically use rigid leather, minimal strapping, and open finger slots that don’t guide hand posture. By contrast, Wittman’s gloves introduce a fundamentally different ergonomics. The curved shape is a direct contrast to the flat, open-handed posture of older gloves. In standard gloves, if a fighter relaxes their hand, the fingers naturally extend (increasing the chance of a finger striking an eye). In ONX gloves, if you relax, your hand tends to curl in. Extending your fingers becomes a conscious decision, rather than an unconscious result of the glove design.
Another significant difference is in the support structure. Traditional gloves rely heavily on how well a fighter tapes their hands and on a single strap around the wrist. Wittman’s design, with its internal lacing X-Factor system, distributes support across the hand. This means even without tight hand wraps, the glove provides even compression and support, something old gloves simply don’t do. The lack of leather on the palm and the overall feel of the ONX glove also contrast with older models, which often become slippery or stiff. Fighters have described the ONX gloves as far more comfortable and form-fitting, whereas UFC’s old gloves have been called out for forcing the hand into uncomfortable positions.
In essence, ONX gloves bridge the gap between safety and functionality. They manage to make eye pokes less likely without impeding grappling ability. Fingers are still free enough for clinching and submissions, but the glove’s shape gently resists full extension except when needed. This balance is something prior glove designs struggled to achieve; early attempts at curved gloves sometimes hindered grappling, but Wittman’s real-world fighter testing refined the design to avoid that pitfall. ONX’s own testing reports showed significant drops in eye-poke incidents during sparring with the similar MMA Sparring Gloves, compared to traditional open-finger gloves, all while fighters could grapple normally.
Fighter and Industry Response
Trevor Wittman’s glove innovation has drawn widespread praise from fighters, coaches, and even commentators who have seen or tried it. Rashad Evans, after demonstrating the gloves, lauded how they keep a hand “in a natural position” and protect from common injuries. Longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan became an instant fan – Wittman sent him a custom pair, and Rogan gushed on social media that they were “without a doubt, the best-designed and constructed gloves I’ve ever used!”. Such strong endorsements from a veteran like Rogan (who has witnessed every iteration of gloves in MMA’s history) underscore the excitement surrounding the design.
Active fighters under Wittman’s tutelage have also given positive feedback. Justin Gaethje and his teammates at Elevation Fight Team have trained with the ONX gloves. Gaethje noted that Wittman’s glove solved issues of discomfort and unnatural hand positioning that they despised in the old gloves. While he conceded “there’s never gonna be a glove that gets rid of [all] eye pokes” completely – because no design can override human reflexes – he believes the changes address the most significant contributors to the problem. Fighters who have tried the gloves report far fewer inadvertent pokes during sparring sessions, since everyone’s hands stay shaped to strike, not scratch.
Even fighters outside Wittman’s camp have clamored for better gloves. Matt Brown pointed out that Pride FC’s curved gloves drastically reduced eye pokes in that organization, implicitly supporting designs like Wittman’s. And many fans and fighters on forums and social media have called for the UFC to adopt Wittman’s gloves, especially each time an eye poke controversy erupts. According to Sportskeeda, Wittman’s glove design has “earned widespread praise from fighters and fans in general” as an innovative solution to an age-old problem.
The Road Ahead: Will Safer Gloves Become the Standard?
Trevor Wittman’s glove redesign offers a compelling solution to one of UFC’s most dangerous recurring fouls. By reimagining glove ergonomics: curving the fingers, supporting the wrist, and enhancing comfort, he has shown that a relatively simple equipment change can have a big impact on fighter safety. ONX Sports proudly markets the gloves’ “poke reduction” capability alongside improved hand protection, and early data from their lab testing backs it up with reduced eye-poke incidents in sparring. The technology is there, and the fighters are willing.
The remaining question is whether the MMA industry will embrace this innovation. History shows that better gloves are possible. Pride’s example from years ago and Bellator’s semi-curved gloves both demonstrated fewer eye pokes. Wittman’s design essentially modernizes and perfects those ideas. If organizations prioritize fighter safety, it seems logical to adopt gloves that “encourage a closed fist” and protect athletes’ eyes. Fans and fighters are increasingly vocal about the issue – as Matt Brown bluntly asked, “How many eye pokes are we going to have to see before we fix these gloves?”. It’s a sentiment widely shared each time an avoidable eye injury occurs. The UFC, being the leader of the sport, faces pressure to lead on safety. Whether they revisit talks with Trevor Wittman or develop an equivalent solution, the status quo is challenging to justify when a better alternative exists and has been “praised by fighters and analysts alike”.
For now, Wittman continues to refine his products and get them in the hands of fighters at the gym level. Each testimonial, from a coach wrapping up a session with no hand injuries, or a fighter who sparred 5 rounds with zero eye poke scares, adds to the evidence that smart design can make MMA safer. Eye pokes might never be 100% eliminated (there is no perfect glove or perfect fighter), but Wittman’s gloves show that they can be drastically reduced without sacrificing the essence of the sport. It’s a classic story of innovation in sports: identify the problem, engineer a solution, and then fight (outside the cage, in this case) to have it adopted.
As MMA progresses, hopefully Wittman’s vision for safer gloves will come to fruition in major competitions. Fighters often say they’ll do anything to get an edge, here’s a case where the edge is not about winning, but about preserving each other’s ability to see another day. And that’s a fight worth championing.
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