Justin Gaethje returned to his aggressive roots at UFC 313, securing a hard-fought victory over Rafael Fiziev. However, fans quickly noticed something unusual—his gloves were missing the UFC logo. This led to widespread speculation, with many wondering if Gaethje had deliberately removed the branding.
Justin Gaethje Explains the Glove Controversy
During the post-fight press conference, Gaethje addressed the situation, explaining that the UFC logo had rubbed off during warm-ups. According to UFC commentator Jon Anik, UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell informed him that Gaethje chose to keep those gloves on despite the missing logos.
Gaethje elaborated:
They started coming off in the back, so they wanted to make sure the flakes weren’t getting in my eyes or Fiziev’s eyes. They took ‘em off with tape. They wanted me to switch to fresh gloves, but I refused. I already broke these in, there was no way I was switching.
Did Gaethje Remove the Logo on Purpose?
While Gaethje’s explanation seemed straightforward, some fans had a different theory. Many speculated that he intentionally wiped off the UFC branding as a form of protest.
The speculation stems from Gaethje’s long-standing frustration with UFC gloves. His head coach, Trevor Wittman, developed ONX Sports gloves, which many, including Joe Rogan, believe are superior to the UFC’s standard gloves. Wittman’s gloves were designed to prevent eye pokes and allow for a more natural hand position, something Gaethje has openly advocated for in the past.
Gaethje previously told MMA Knockout:
The issue with the UFC gloves is that they’re extremely uncomfortable. They don’t promote a natural hand position.
Imagine putting on gloves before the biggest fight of your life, and your fingertips are going numb. It’s a serious issue.
Even former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos weighed in, sharing a screenshot of the fight and posting:
What a fight between these two! But I noticed that Gaethje’s gloves didn’t have the UFC logo. Did anyone else see this?
The incident reignited calls for the UFC to adopt Wittman’s glove design, but the promotion has yet to make any official changes.
For now, Gaethje is focused on securing a title shot against Islam Makhachev, with his win over Fiziev putting him back in the mix for lightweight gold. But the debate over UFC gloves and fighter preferences continues to rage on.
