Boxing gloves and MMA gloves serve fundamentally different purposes. They look superficially similar to non-practitioners but are designed for completely different training contexts. Using the wrong one damages your hands and your training quality.
Boxing Gloves
Boxing gloves are closed-fist with 10–16oz of padding. They protect the wearer's wrists and knuckles during heavy impact and protect the training partner from excessive force in sparring.
Use for: Heavy bag work, pad sessions, sparring, shadow boxing with resistance
Available in Australia: Shop Killa Boxing gloves →
MMA Gloves
MMA gloves are open-fingered with 4–7oz of padding — minimal. They allow grappling movements (grips, clinch work, takedowns) while providing basic knuckle protection for striking.
Use for: MMA sparring, grappling with light strikes, competition
The Critical Difference: Don't Use MMA Gloves for Bag Work
Using MMA gloves on a heavy bag is a common and damaging error. The padding difference is enormous — 4oz vs 12oz. Regular bag sessions in MMA gloves cause cumulative knuckle bruising, wrist stress, and tendon damage. If you're doing boxing training, buy boxing gloves.
Can Boxing Gloves Be Used for MMA?
For striking training — yes. For grappling, clinch, and takedowns — no. The closed fist prevents the grip movements essential to MMA technique.
If You Train Both
You need both, used appropriately. 12oz boxing gloves for boxing-specific work. MMA gloves for MMA-specific technique. Don't try to do all striking training in one type.
Shop Killa Boxing boxing gloves → | Full boxing glove guide →