UFC reopens talks with Trevor Wittman over ONX gloves

The UFC has resumed negotiations with renowned MMA coach Trevor Wittman to adopt his ONX glove design, according to MMA Mania.

Wittman told Joe Rogan's podcast that Hunter Campbell reached out several weeks ago to restart conversations that had stalled years earlier. The original deal fell through when the promotion wanted to own the glove design outright rather than license it, per the report. "Hunter reached out to me three weeks ago, four weeks ago, and said he wanted to ignite the conversation again," Wittman said. "So we'll see where that goes."

Gaethje says current UFC gloves cause pain and eye pokes

The renewed talks come after fighters voiced repeated complaints about the current UFC gloves. Justin Gaethje, who trains under Wittman, noted on the same podcast that he fought in noticeably different gloves at UFC Freedom 250 in January. The leather felt thicker and softer, eliminating the hand pain he typically endures between his fingers. "The gloves we're fighting in now are terrible," Gaethje said. "It's hard to make a fist. You have to use your entire muscle of your arm to make a fist."

Gaethje explained that the standard UFC glove pulls the hand open when relaxed, forcing fighters to clench their forearms constantly just to keep a fist closed. That design flaw increases the likelihood of eye pokes, since an open hand is the body's natural defensive reaction. The ONX glove reportedly uses internal strapping and a curved shape to keep fingers curled without extra effort.

The UFC introduced new gloves in June 2025 but reverted to the old design after knockout rates dropped roughly 10 percent. No announcement has been made on when Wittman's gloves might debut.

Original reporting:

• mmamania.com — UFC in talks to use ONX gloves: ‘The ones we’re using now are terrible’ | MMA Mania