Earlier this year, at UFC 300, Dana White unveiled a new glove design with four colors representing different segments, including standout golden gloves for title fights and black gloves for regular bouts. Launched in April this year to improve fighter safety and reduce eye pokes, the gloves have now been abandoned even before the culmination of 2024. With UFC 309 approaching, White announced, “The new gloves are now the old gloves,” signaling a return to the previous design.

Jon Jones, the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, is set to make his long-awaited return to the octagon after a year. He’ll be strapping on the familiar gloves, much to the relief of fighters who found the new design impractical. Among those critical of the updated gloves was Islam Makhachev, who commented after UFC 302, “The gloves are very stiff.”

This shift back to the old gloves has sparked widespread discussion, including on the Jed I. Goodman Show. MMA analysts Laura Sanko, Daniel Cormier, and Din Thomas shared their views on the decision, with Sanko calling it a “good move,” and other guests affirming the same. Despite their intention to reduce eye pokes, the new gloves failed to achieve that goal.

As the host of the show noted, “The reason they introduced the new gloves was to reduce eye pokes, but research to this point hasn’t shown that they’ve been effective in that regard.” However, whether the gloves reduce eye pokes or not, it’s undoubtedly good news for Jon Jones, who couldn’t hide his excitement about the return of the familiar gloves.

Jon Jones reacts to Dana White and Co. bringing back the old gloves

What could be happier news for Jon Jones than avoiding the bitter experience of the golden gloves due to his year-long absence from the octagon? While Jones didn’t have to wear the controversial gloves during a fight, he did receive a pair during his training camp. Like Islam Makhachev, Jones found the new design problematic, describing a similar discomfort. However, UFC matchmaker Hunter Campbell personally informed him of the promotion’s decision to revert to the old gloves, instantly lifting Jones’ spirits.

In a candid interview, Jones expressed his relief and excitement, stating, “I’m really excited about the old gloves. I got sent a pair of the new gloves several weeks ago. I tried them on, and I thought they were tight. I used to fit in XL, but in the new gloves, I had to put on a 3XL. I was stressed thinking about how I was going to go into fight week wearing these gloves that I didn’t even want to train in. The shape, curving your hands like that, was very uncomfortable for me.”

What’s your take on the recent decision by Dana White and the UFC? Do you believe this move is based on feedback from other fighters, or is it primarily to accommodate Jon Jones, who has been notorious for eye-poking and is a favorite of the head honcho? Share your thoughts below.