A thought occurred to me watching some UFC stuff last night: Many people tell me that ultimate fighitng is realistic. I see that it is in that a person can strike, grapple or whatever and that you have to be ready for all that. Yet, I've seen a lot of strikes to the head, the jaw and the top of the head, with the front of the fist. All of these guys are wearing at least 8 pound gloves. Wouldnt it be more realistic to limit those strikes, as using your fists unprotected means that you'd be damaging them or breaking them if you hit someone else's jaw or head. Any thoughts?

Pre-UFC, Japanese MMA organizations didn't allow closed fist to the head, nor does Pancrase or Shooto.

The orginal UFCs did allow strikes with no gloves. Very quickly, the fighters began using palm strikes on the ground, but not standing. The Gracies always preferred palm strikes, for they couldn't grapple with broken hands.

The gloves were instituted for the State Athletic organizations. There would be no UFC without the gloves, no state would allow it.

We were just training last night with the MMA gloves.

The MMA gloves and boxing gloves are #1 to protect your hands.

The gloves hurt the grappler as much as the striker for it's more difficult to get submissions and pummel.

The thing, once again, that makes MMA so effective is their "training method" whether they compete or not in an organization.

"All of these guys are wearing at least 8 pound gloves."

You must mean 8 oz, right? An 8 lb boxing glove would either have to be the size of a large pillow/small mattress, or have 3 horseshoes in it.

Nay he means 8lb as do all MMA fighters and MMA fight fans, it's an IQ thing.

Lol...yeah, I meant 8 oz.

you don't remember UFC 1-5? Half the winners would withdraw with broken hands before the final. Watch old Bas Rutten clips for examples of the Pancrase/shooto comments.

cuz they were wussies

amen sister

anyone who enters a bareknuckle, weightclassless elimination tournement with no time limits/rounds, which may include as many as 4 fights in one night, is obviously a TOTAL PANSY!

Lol. Sign me up, baby. I'll bring my ACME rubber band with boulder attached.

and i'll bring my +3 boots of amazing strength.

LOL!!!

apprentice here,
hey, go get in a real fight w/o your gloves. Try not to cry, k?
ttfn
apprentice

LOL!!

why do soooooo many kids write LOL (licks of love) on posts these days?

It's so anti-heterosexual and anti-cool.

LOL!!

disgusting.

LOL!!!