What do MMA fighters wear?
Officials' detail · The fight · 1 of 1Fighters wear gloves, a mouthpiece and trunks, and fight barefoot. Men wear a groin protector and nothing on the upper body. Women wear a fitted rash guard or sports bra. Each hand may be wrapped with one roll of gauze and one of tape. Shoes, jewellery and body cosmetics are banned, and no round starts without the mouthpiece.
How it works
- Mouthpiece: compulsory. A round cannot begin without it.
- Dislodged mouthpiece: the referee calls time and has it replaced at the first opportune moment, without interrupting the immediate action.
- Spitting it out on purpose: points may be deducted.
- Hand wraps: one roll of soft gauze, up to 2 inches wide and 15 yards long, and one roll of tape, up to 1.25 inches wide and 10 feet long, for each hand. Tape may not cover the knuckles.
- Men: trunks and a groin protector, and no clothing on the upper body.
- Women: a short-sleeved or sleeveless fitted rash guard or sports bra. No loose tops and no breast protectors.
- Trunks: not below the knee, with no pockets, zips or exposed Velcro.
- Feet: bare.
- Sleeves: a soft neoprene sleeve on the knee or ankle only. No tape or braces elsewhere on the body.
- Not allowed: jewellery and body cosmetics.
The glossary has the mouthpiece, the corner, the referee, the point deduction, the cage and the foul.
Tricky cases
A fighter's mouthpiece falls out during a flurry. Does the referee stop the fight at once?
No. The referee calls time at the first opportune moment, without interfering with the immediate action.
A fighter keeps spitting the mouthpiece out to get a breather. What can the referee do?
Deduct points. Dropping the mouthpiece again and again is also listed under timidity, which is a foul.
Can a fighter wear a knee brace?
No. Only a soft neoprene sleeve with no padding, Velcro, plastic or metal is allowed, on the knee or ankle.
How heavy are the gloves?
Not stated in this text. Glove weight and approval are left to the commission.
Why the rule exists
Small gloves protect the hands and still let a fighter grip. The mouthpiece protects teeth and jaw. Nearly everything else is banned because it could be grabbed, could cut or could hide padding: a fighter is meant to go in with the body and almost nothing else.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Men | Groin protector; bare upper body | ABC Rule 10 |
| Women | Fitted rash guard or sports bra; no groin protector required | ABC Rule 10 |
| Hands | One roll of gauze and one of tape each | ABC Rule 8 |
| Knee and ankle | Soft neoprene sleeve allowed | ABC Rule 9 |
| Boxing | Shoes and larger gloves | C |
From the rule book
Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports, Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts (as amended 23 July 2024; California State Athletic Commission copy), rules 4, 8, 9 and 10 and foul 19. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the association's Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts (adopted commission by commission).