What is the difference between Muay Thai, MMA, and Boxing Gloves?
Different types of boxing have resulted in brands developing different types of gloves. With the different types of boxing styles, it is important to choose the right type of glove depending on the fighting style (e.g., Muay Thai, MMA, and (western) boxing) as all boxing gloves come in various shapes and uses.
There are only two real styles though, two different enough to be separated. Those styles are the Muay Thai style and the Western Boxing style. When most people think, of “Boxing gloves,” they usually think of the more western style. Due to the growing popularity of MMA, there is also the new, “MMA Boxing glove,” style.
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Traditional Western-Style Boxing Gloves
Boxing gloves are probably the best option simply because they are made for boxing. They outperform any other sort of glove due to the way their weight is dispersed throughout the glove, cushioning, and considerably superior quality.
Boxing gloves usually have the same overall style with some slight changes. Some are more rounded than others, such as the Ringside IMF gloves, and some are more flat, like the Ring To Cage C17s. Some use a straight thumb like Winning and others used a more curved thumb like Reyes.
Practically any western Boxing glove though comes standard with a grip bar and either closure of lace or velcro, sometimes both. The materials used range from leather to synthetic to mesh, and the liners use all sorts.
Because Boxers use their knuckles and only their knuckles for striking, a Boxing gloves padding is heavily used for the knuckles. The foams used to go all over the glove but the greatest accumulation of padding will always be the knuckles to offer great protection.
Some gloves also have some thick padding on the palm side for things such as parrying but the majority is for the knuckles. Western Boxing gloves also aren’t as flexible as Thai gloves.
