UFC 309 notebook: UFC reverting to old glove design on short notice at MSG

UFC 309 Media Day took place Wednesday in New York and one bit of news fighters were reacting to was that the organization will revert to its old glove design for Saturday’s event.

The short-notice equipment switch, which was initially reported by Ariel Helwani, comes less than six months after the organization introduced a new glove design.

Dana White is expected to address the change with official reasoning Thursday at, or following, the UFC 309 pre-fight press conference.

Fighters have been using an updated glove design during UFC competition since the start of June, however most of the fighters scheduled to compete Saturday have yet to wear the new gloves other than while training.

Jon Jones, who is set to defend his heavyweight title against Stipe Miocic in Saturday’s main event, was asked about that decision and it seemed the former longtime light heavyweight kingpin was rather chuffed.

“I’m really excited about the old gloves,” Jones began. “I got sent a pair of the new gloves several weeks ago. I tried them on, I thought they were tight. I used to fight in XL, the new gloves I had to put on a XXXL. The shape, curving your hands like that, they’re very uncomfortable for me and I was actually really stressed thinking, ‘How am I going to go to fight week wearing these gloves I don’t even want to train in?’”

Two of the primary reasons for the initial change in design were the prevention of eye pokes and limiting hand injuries.

An unintended consequence of the change so far – keeping in mind a relatively small sample size – is there has been a noticeable drop in knockout rates, plus an increase in decision outcomes, in nearly every weight class since the glove change was introduced.

“When I got a phone call (from UFC executive Hunter Campbell), Hunter said: ‘Everyone on this card are veterans. Why put a bunch of vets in a new glove? Let’s give you guys all what you’re used to.’ It was a major relief to my coach Brandon (Gibson) who wraps my hands and it was a major relief to me as well,” Jones added.

Ironically, Jones was often guilty of extending his fingers while defending strikes and inadvertently poking his opponents in the eyes during his reign as 205-pound champion.

Fight fans will find out on Saturday whether the decision regarding the gloves has a noticeable impact on the action itself.

Jones isn’t the only notorious eye poker on the UFC 309 card. Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman, who faces Eryk Anders in a featured preliminary bout, is coming off a March win during which an eye poke from Weidman rendered his opponent unable to continue. That foul, which went unpenalized, occurred while Weidman was using the same type of gloves he and his fellow fighters will be using Saturday.

ASPINALL ARRIVES

Tom Aspinall’s shadow looms large this week. The UFC interim heavyweight champion arrived in New York in town to serve as the official backup fighter for the main event.

Although the 30-year-old from England admits he doesn’t view it as likely he’ll be competing on short notice Saturday in the same venue he won his title one year ago, he has been vocal about Jones’s recent comments about being willing to vacate the heavyweight strap to take “fun fights” including possibly against Alex Pereira.

Aspinall also questioned the validity of Jones vs. Miocic being called an “undisputed” title fight.

"I’ve never said anything about Jon Jones’s career or Stipe’s career and I never will. I respect what they’ve done in their careers. Amazing careers,” Aspinall began in a Wednesday vlog posted to his YouTube channel. “What I’ve got against this fight in particular is it’s contested for an undisputed heavyweight title. Now, for me, and I’m seeing online for a lot of other people, this is far from undisputed.

"This is the most disputed title that you can possibly get because it’s two champions and one of the champions, Jon Jones, is avoiding the other champion, me.”

The UFC has gotten accustomed to dramatic eleventh-hour fight card changes over the years, occasionally involving main events and title fights, and if something like that were to hypothetically happen this week we’d be in for some serious drama considering Aspinall is on site with his gumshield and fight kit just in case.

NICKAL NOT RUSHING TO KEEP PACE WITH CHIMAEV

If Bo Nickal continues to progress like the blue-chip prospect many believe him to be then one day we could potentially see the multiple-time Division 1 NCAA wrestling champion take on fellow undefeated middleweight standout Khamzat Chimaev who has enjoyed a dominant first four years in the UFC and is closing in on a title shot.

Nickal, 28, is 6-0 with six finishes, and with half his pro wins being at the UFC level. He made his pro MMA debut in 2022, four years after Chimaev, and he was asked about Chimaev’s dominant UFC 308 win over Robert Whittaker and his thoughts on a future showdown with the rising contender.

“I think Khamzat’s last performance was really, really incredible,” Nickal said. “It was probably the best performance he’s had, submitting a former champion in the first round is an amazing feat. … I have a lot of catching up to do. I’m fighting unranked guys right now, so those are the type of fights I want in the future but the main focus is improve, develop, get better at fighting and we’ll make that happen in good time.”

Nickal faces Scottish submission specialist Paul Craig who boasts previous stoppage wins over Jamahal Hill, Magomed Ankalaev and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua among others and represents Nickal’s toughest test in MMA to date.

JONES GIVES DC PROPS

You got a bit of everything from Jones at Media Day and one somewhat surprising moment was when Jones was asked if he thinks Miocic is the most skilled opponent he has faced in his career.

“I think actually Daniel Cormier is probably the most skilled,” Jones said of his biggest career rival. “His Olympic-level wrestling, his dirty boxing, his boxing, but Stipe’s beat Daniel Cormier. Stipe, he deserves to be here. He can wrestle, he always comes lean and in shape, he has great cardio and he has that right hand. Whether it’s the straight right, overhand right or right uppercut, that’s his real weapon, that’s his ticket. We’re very aware of that and we’re very prepared for that.”

Jones and Cormier fought once in 2015 (twice if you count their infamous hotel lobby brawl) and again in 2017 when they competed in the light heavyweight division. Cormier, who also fought Miocic multiple times in the UFC, is on the commentary team for UFC 309.

ONE PRELIM MATCHUP CHANGED

The UFC announced one changed to the preliminary card. A featherweight (145 pounds) matchup between Lucas Almeida and David Onama was cancelled after Almeida withdrew due to unspecified medical issues.

Replacing Almeida will be UFC newcomer Roberto Romero will instead make his UFC debut on short notice against Onama in a contest scheduled to take place in the lightweight division (155 pounds).