By IMMAF.org lead writer, Jorden Curran IMMAF President Kerrith Brown is determined to draw a clear line between the aspects of pro and approved amateur MMA gloves in the effort to quell uninformed opinions of the sport’s safety standards. IMMAF’s first generation of 6-ounce amateur gloves were introduced at the 2015 European Open Championhips in Birmingham, UK. “One of the things we want to put a lot of time into is the technical design, and that’s something we continuously work on,” the IMMAF President explained. “This is one of our main concerns – we want to draw a clear line between 4-ounce (professional standard) and 6-ounce (IMMAF amateur standard) gloves in terms of reducing the amount of cuts that we see, which in turn results in a more sterile and clean amateur sport.” The latest and most advanced glove design (pictured above) is now in action at the 2017 IMMAF Worlds Championships. “A lot of effort has gone into the design of the glove with Green Hill – our main equipment sponsor. We want to make sure the glove is of a specific standard – an approved amateur glove for MMA.” The combination of glove size and technical detail, in addition to the official Green Hill shinguards, has resulted in limited injuries sustained under the IMMAF standard. For example, of over 80 bouts (160+ athletes) taking place on Day 2 of the IMMAF Worlds in Bahrain, 128 athletes were attended by medical staff for post-fight checks. 59 were seen to at the on-site medical center and treated for minor injuries – all discharged with a clean bill of health. 9 athletes were sent to the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital for evaluations, mainly for mild head injuries, following strict protocol for athlete safety. All 9 were safely discharged. “From results of previous IMMAF championships, the gloves have reduced a lot of injuries. We’re working with a 6-ounce glove and that has a serious impact on the outcomes of knockouts and superficial damage, such as cuts. This is one of the main things we want to work towards in establishing an Olympic standard for mixed martial arts.” Taking place at Khalifa Sports City Arena from 12 to 19 November, as part of Brave International Combat Week, the 2017 IMMAF World Championships is the biggest event in the history of amateur MMA under IMMAF with more participants than ever before (over 250) representing nations from all continents. 2017 marks the first year of the IMMAF Worlds taking place outside of Las Vegas, USA, and will be broadcast live via the Bahrain TV app – click HERE for more information.]]>
