Author Archives: MMAFightwear

MMA Round-up: Overeem turns down fights, Rousey on Marijuana

Alistair Overeem Turns Down 2 Title Fights with Junior dos Santos

alistair Overeem

Image: BlackZilians.com

It appears Alistair Overeem has not just turned down one, but TWO heavyweight title bouts in 2014.

Apparently Overeem was offered a five-round main event fight with former Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos in Brazil, but “The Demolition Man” turned down the offer.

He was then offered a three-round co-main event bout in Las Vegas with Cigano, but avoided that too – a decision which leaves him somewhat in Limbo.

The refusals have led many to believe Overeem is only interested in a money spinning bout with Brock Lesner.

Watch this space.

Ronda Rousey says marijuana testing is ai???invasion of privacyai??i??

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Image: Ace Showbiz

UFC womenai??i??s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has gone on record to say she is firmly against marijuana testing in MMA.

Speaking after the negative press in the wake of Jessica Eye becoming the first female UFC fighter to test positive for a banned substance, Rousey told MMA Junkie: ai???Honestly I feel like weed is not a performance-enhancing drug at all.

ai???We are tested for it for entirely political reasons. The athletic commission is there to make sure we compete fairly and they are testing us for something that has nothing to do with athletic competition.ai???

‘The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America,’ series to be filmed in Las Vegas

the-ultimate-fighterUFC officials today announced ai???The Ultimate Fighter: Latin Americaai??? will film in Las Vegas this spring.

16 Latin American hopefuls vying for a UFC deal and registration is currently underway.

UFC Senior Vice President of International Development Jaime Pollack stated: ai???Latin America has become a huge market for the UFC, and weai??i??re excited to take it to the next level with ai???The Ultimate Fighter.ai??i??ai???

To be eligible for the contest must be between 21 and 34 years old, speak Spanish, have a minimum of three professional MMA fights and hold a verifiable winning record.

 

MMA Training Drills – The Hip Escape

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu techniques play a big part in the ground phase of MMA, many of which are used defensively to free yourself up from holds.

One of the most commonly used techniques is the Hip Escape. As with the Top Mount position practice drill in our previous blog post, it is possible to practice the Hip Escape without a training partner.

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1 / 2 – Start by lying on your back, then bring your right leg in and bend at the knee so that your right foot is firmly flat on the ground. Lifting it just a few inches off the floor, fully straighten out your leg.

ai???Ai??Cup both hands and bring them up towards your temples and raise your shoulders up from the ground.

3 – Turn your entire body to the right, keeping your arms and legs in the same position as outlined above.

4 – Just before your right elbow touches the floor, push out with both hands, extending both your arms and legs out straight.

5 – Turn your body back to the left until you are on your back once again and assume your starting position with your hands cupped up towards your temples. However this time, bring your left leg in and bend at the knee so that your foot is firmly on the ground. This time your right leg will be fully straightened out and slightly raised off the ground.

6(A) & (B)Ai??- Turning your body to the left, you will want to mirror the same manoeuvre as outlined above, and then bring yourself back in to the starting position on your back. This will complete on full repetition of this technique.

As any practitioner will know, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a highly technical discipline and requires appropriate apparel to be worn if you are to compete at certain levels and competitions. Competition and specific gym requirements can standardise the appearance and technical aspects of a Jiu Jitsu Gi, although not all tournaments and clubs impose such strict rules. You may be involved as a No Gi Jiu Jitsu practitioner, and therefore we recommend that you take a look at our previous blog that highlights the benefits of investing in a good quality Rashguard.

You might also want to check out the Jiu JitsuAi??discipline section of our website for all of your other Jiu Jitstu apparel and equipment needs.

 

Coming Soon – New Hayabusa Metaru™ Performance Shorts

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The New Hayabusa Metaru™ Performance Shorts are coming soon to Hayabusa UK & Europe!

We are looking forward to having these shorts in stock and as you can see from the images it’s easy to see why.

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Built for durability and comfort the New Hayabusa Metaru™ Performance Shorts will feature of all the latest performance enhancing technology that you come to expect from Hayabusa, including;

• Reinforced T3 Stitching

• Stretch Fabric Construction and Split Side Seams for Maximum Unrestricted Manoeuvrability

• Exclusive Inner Grip Waistband System to keep your shorts securely in place

• Innovative Tie System with Indestructible Webbing for a Customised Fit

The New Hayabusa Metaru™ Performance Shorts are all set to be the perfect accompaniment to the already massively popular Hayabusa Metaru™ 47 Silver Rashguards!

Stay tuned to our Website, Blog and Facebook pages for more updates.

Grips Athletics Diablo Fight Shorts – Review

The “Out of the Bag” Review
Grips Athletics Diablo Fight ShortsAi?? – Blue Cage

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As with any new product that we get in here at MMA Fightwear, one of the first things that we like to do is get it out of the bag and give it a good quality check to make sure it looks up to scratch.

FIRST IMPRESSIONSAi??

Our overall first impression of the; Grips Athletics Diablo Fight ShortsAi?? – Blue CageAi??colour, were that good that we thought we would share them with you.

Grips-Velcro

ai??? The Diablo Fight Shorts were light weight, but felt well made and solidly constructed. We also liked the faded ai???Blue Cageai??? print and embroidered Grips Logo on these shorts too.

VELCRO ENCLOSURE & WAISTBAND

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ai??? One of the first things that we looked at on these Fight Shorts, was the velcro enclosure system and waist area.

ai??? Fight Shorts can often use different enclosure systems and we are always keen to see how different products approach this, because if itai??i??s done right it can make a huge difference to the overall comfort and performance of a Fight Short.

ai??? First impressions were good, the enclosure system seemed very secure yet not overly complicated or bulky.

ai??? The Safe Lockai??? system used on these shorts is made up of a main front velcro panel, beneath which reveals a further two layers of velcro panelling that are secured further by having the drawstring run through the bottom panel to allow you to tighten the waist further if needed.

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ai??? We were also impressed by the style of velcro panelling, as it did not stick to the Jacquard Foam Lace drawstring, something that can be annoying when trying to tie and untie other shorts when it occurs.

ai??? The Silicon Waist Band lining was also of a high standard and we think this will provide excellent grip when compared to other Fight Shorts that have employed this feature.

STRETCH PANELS & SPLIT SEAMS

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ai??? The Front and Back Anatomical Flex Panels used on these Fight Shorts certainly appear to give them a great deal of flexibility and give.

Grips-Stretch3Ai??Grips-Split

ai??? The way that these panels have been integrated in to the Fight Shorts is also done to an extremely high standard, with neat finishing and strong stitching evident in the way they have been constructed.

ai??? To further aid manoeuvrability for the wearer, these Fight Shorts also feature the now common Inside Leg Spandex Stretch Panels and Side Split Seams.

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

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ai??? In addition to the durable, sleek looking waist enclosure system and stretch panel features, there are also a lot of nice little attention to detail touches to these Fight Shorts that show the level of thought that has gone in to their creation.

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ai??? The High Definition Digital Printing looks as crisp and hard wearing as anything that we have seen, also the embossed Grips Athletics Logo on the end of the draw string is a nice touch too. As we were admiring the quality of the stitching on the outside and inside of these Fight Shorts, we noticed the Integrated Inner Gum Shield Pocket which we feel is a cool addition to these impressive Fight Shorts.

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ai??? The quality of the Anti Bacterial, Anti Odour, Quick Drying and Breathable properties of these Fight Shorts are features that can only be proved over time after a few uses. However, it is good to see that Grips Athletics are in tune with the expectations of the more discerning fightwear customer, by including such properties in their technical specifications for this product.

ai??? For their price range, after an initial inspection, we donai??i??t have a bad word to say against these Fight Shorts. Impeccably constructed and finished, they offer all of the features that you would expect from a high end Fight Short and give the more expensive alternatives a good run for their money when compared side by side. As you would expect from a product ai???Styled in Italyai??i?? we think their understated design and attention to detail is pretty impressive too.

Out of the Bag Rating:

4 out of 5 Stars

Hayabusa & Bad Boy MMA Glove Comparison Review

With both pairs of MMA Gloves being similar in appearance and boasting an array of technical features, we’ve reviewed the Hayabusa Tokushu Series 4oz MMA Gloves and the Bad Boy Legacy 4oz MMA Gloves to give you a more in depth look in to both products and to give you our own personal preference.

Please note that this review is a quick initial review and views are based purely on personal preference and opinion. The main purpose of the review is to give you the chance to look at the products in more detail and highlight their stand out features.

Features Overview

Hayabusa Tokushu Series 4oz MMA Gloves

Tokushu-MMA

Dual-X Closure Systemai???: This Hayabusa patented glove enclosure system allows you to get a really snug and secure fit and helps to give you more hand and wrist support.

Y-Volarai??? design: As with the Dual-X Closure Systemai???, this feature further aids a secure fit and goes a long way to reducing movement and shift of the glove when worn. You will notice the how the open palm design is split in to two areas by an additional joining section to provide more stability.

Unique Ectaai??? Activated Carbonised Bamboo Lining: The deodorising and temperature regulating qualities of the Ectaai??? Bamboo Lining is something that can only be put to the test after some use to prove its effectiveness. However, there is no doubting the comfort that this soft fabric provides as you put the gloves on for the first time.

Vylarai???: This feature is also something that can only be proved after standing the test of time, but the “performance engineered leather material” called Vylarai???, boasts durable and hard wearing qualities. From first impressions, the Vylarai??? material does have a quality hard wearing feel to it.

Bad Boy Legacy 4oz MMA Gloves

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Composite Leather: Bad Boy say that this material is the “softest, most durable composite leather available”. As with they Hayabusa Vylarai??? material, only time and many uses will prove this claim, however again the first impressions are good and it does feel soft, comfortable and of a high standard.

5-Layer Multi-Foam: Without actually taking the gloves apart to inspect this feature, the padding certainly feels adequate after an initial inspection. When depressed, you can feel that the padding is soft with a more dense core.

Contoured Breath Wrap with Air-Flow Mesh: The wrist support uses a breathable meshed neoprene material that is designed to give keep your hands cool. It certainly looks up to the job in relation to other products that use this kind of temperature regulating feature.

Ergonomic Shape: These gloves have been constructed in a way to make it as easy and natural as possible to form a closed fist shape, to help enhance your performance and reduce injury. After an initial wear of these gloves, we had no issues with the shape or their flexibility.

Appearance / Design:

In terms of their initial appearance and design, both pairs of MMA Gloves do look relatively comparable and have a similar stitching pattern and placement of foam padding on the back of the hand. Both sets of gloves give a good “out of the bag” first impression too.

Appearance / Design Star Rating:Ai??

Hayabusa: 4 StarsAi??

Bad Boy: 4 Stars

Feel / Finish:

Both gloves are light in weight, with the composite leather used for the Bad Boy gloves feeling slightly softer to the touch.

Tokushu-MMA-Finish-2Ai??Tokushu-MMA-Finish

Upon closer inspection of the stitching and finishing, the quality of the Hayabusa gloves (pictured above) does appear to be of a higher standard to that of the Bad Boy gloves (pictured below). The actual stitching thread is thicker, finished neater and gives the feeling of a more solidly constructed product.

Bad-Boy-Legacy-MMA-Finish-2Ai??Bad-Boy-Legacy-MMA-Finish

Bad-Boy-Legacy-MMA-Finish-3

Not taking anything away from the Legacy MMA Gloves, it’s clear to see that they are a well made glove and we were impressed with the durable looking reinforced finger loops, but the Tokushu Series MMA Gloves have the edge in terms of the attention to detail of the finishing.

Feel / Finish Star Rating:

Hayabusa: 5 Stars

Bad Boy: 3 1/2 Stars

Protection:

Tokushu-MMA-Padding

With regards to the similarities in padding placement and thickness, the Hayabusa Glove (A) padding does feel a little more dense than that of the Bad Boy Gloves (D) and there is more padding around the knuckle area on the inside of the glove too.

Tokushu-MMA-Dual-X-2Ai??Tokushu-MMA-Dual-X

Bad-Boy-Legacy-MMA-PAddingAi??Bad-Boy-Legacy-MMA-Wrist

One of the stand out features of the Hayabusa Tokushu Series 4oz MMA Gloves is the Dual X Enclosure Systemai???(B & C). This system does give it the edge in terms of offering a superior feeling of wrist support over their Bad Boy (E) counterparts.

Bad-Boy-Legacy-MMA-Wrist

As well as there being physically more padding for your wrist due to the larger enclosure area, the secure fit that you get from the system gives that extra feeling of support and stability when you put the glove on.

Protection Star Rating:Ai??

Hayabusa: 4 1/2 StarsAi??

Bad Boy: 3 1/2 Stars

Fit / Comfort:

It is important to note that the sizing for both brands is slightly different for these particular products.

Bad Boy have opted for S/M and L/X sizing options, were as Hayabusa have decided to produce for different sizes to give more variety. The Tokushu 4oz MMA Gloves are available in S, M, L and XL sizes.

For this review, we have compared the L/XL size and L size from the respected brands, the hand and wrist measurements of our reviewer are; 4″ from knuckle to knuckle with a 7″ wrist circumference.

Tokushu-MMA-Palm Bad-Boy-Legacy-MMA-Palm

Once you’ve strapped yourself in to the Hayabusa gloves using the Dual X Enclosure System, straight away you can feel how secure and snug the fit is. Your hands instantly feel protected and with the Y-Volar, you get the impression that these gloves are not going to move around and rub against your hands too much. Forming a fist is easy and comfortable, with the right amount of flexibility and give allowed due to their construction.

The level padding also leaves you feeling like their is ample protection where it’s need, not to mention the gloves being very comfortable to wear. Overall, the gloves feel like a solid pair of well made gloves, where there has been obvious attention to detail.

Bad-Boy-Legacy-MMA-Fist Tokushu-MMA-Fist

The Bad Boy Gloves are soft inside and have a noticeable comfortable feel to them. Without the Dual X Enclosure System, they are also easier to get on and off. This may be due to their L/XL size (therefore accommodating for larger hands than the Hayabusa Gloves) but they do feel slightly more roomy and seem as though they may be more prone to shift when in use. In addition to this, again possibly due to the sizing, the finger loops are slightly larger and do not feel as snug to your hands. Despite the extra room, it was a slightly more difficult to form a fist in these gloves, but this could be something that would become easier over time.

Without the Y-Volar system and with their softer material, the Bad Boy Gloves appear to lose their shape more when you put them on and do not feel as solidly constructed as the Hayabusa Gloves.

The velcro strap on the Bad Boy gloves also leaves a relatively large area of the Velcro fastening material exposed when closed over and the tightness and secureness of the fit is less in comparison to the Hayabusa gloves.

One particular feature of the Bad Boy Gloves that differentiates them from the Hayabusa MMA Gloves, is the use of the neoprene, light weight, Air-Flow Mesh material. As well looking the part, this certainly helps to keep the gloves nice and light and comfortable to wear.

Fit/Comfort Star Rating:

Hayabusa: 5 StarsAi??

Bad Boy: 3 1/2 Stars

Overall:

If we were in the position of choosing between the two gloves, based on our initial review, we would have to say that the Hayabusa Tokushu Series 4oz MMA Gloves would be our personal preference.

As you would expect, when comparing any two products with a price difference, you would expect to get more for your money with regards to the more expensive of the two.

This is certainly the case here, as the attention to detail and quality of finishing of the Hayabusa Gloves is of a higher standard when compared to the Legacy MMA Gloves.

This certainly doesn’t take away the quality of finishing and stitching of the Bad Boy Gloves as they have also been constructed to a high standard, but when compared next to the Tokushu MMA Gloves, Hayabusa do have the edge.

However, it isn’t the overall construction that influenced our decision to prefer the Tokushu Gloves over the Bad Boy Legacy Gloves. The standout Dual X Enclosure, Y-Volar, additional wrist support and dense padding features from Hayabusa, really do give these gloves the edge in terms of their fit, comfort and protection.

Overall Star Rating:Ai??

Hayabusa: 4 1/2 StarsAi??

Bad Boy: 3 1/2 Stars

MMA Training Exercises – Roundhouse Kick Drill

Whatever your level of expertise, having an effective Roundhouse kick in your locker as an MMA fighter is an essential tool that you should have at your disposal. Practising this technique correctly can also form a great part of a cardio vascular exercise session too.

The Roundhouse Kick (Right Leg)

Often referred to as the Orthodox Roundhouse, the basis of practising this technique begins with starting in an Orthodox StanceAi??and places great emphasis on maintaining your balance throughout the motion.

To successfully execute this kick you are ultimately aiming to strike the side of the punch bag, pad or opponent with the top of your foot.

MMA-Roundhouse-Drill

1Ai??- Assume an orthodox stance with your left food leading, with hands raised to form your guard.

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2Ai??- Raise your right knee quickly to waist level and begin to turn your body using your left foot as the pivot for the motion.

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3Ai??- With your body rotating to around 180 degrees, extend your right leg to deliver the strike. Swiftly recoil and smoothly swivel back to your original orthodox stance starting position.

As mentioned above, practising this technique can easily be integrated in to a Heavy Bag or Kick Pad workout or even when sparring with a partner. Once you have got your technique mastered, you will be able to practice with greater intensity and increase the number of repetitions. You will also want to practice alternating stances to deliver the strikes using your left leg from a southpaw stance.

The Roundhouse Kick (Left Leg)

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4Ai??- From the orthodox stance, jump up and make the switch so that your right leg is now the leading leg.

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5Ai??- With your right foot forward and your hands raised to form your guard, bring your left knee up so it is in line with your waist and proceed to use the same technique as described above for the right leg kick.

To obtain greater accuracy and unleash greater power during kicking striking drills, you may want to consider using Curved Thai Pads to give a smaller, yet denser target area. Also, depending on the kind of training or discipline that you are working on, you will need to consider protection for yourself as well as your sparring partner. Investing in a pair of Grappling Shin Guards or Thai Shin Guards will give you greater piece of mind when it comes to injury prevention and will allow you to focus on improving your performance and not worry about taking any unwanted knocks.

As well as having the necessary hardware, your apparel is equally important, if achieving maximum performance is your goal. Wearing the right shorts, such as MMA Shorts, can make a big difference to your kicking ability and manoeuvrability during training or competition. With features such as side splits and reinforced four way stretch crotch panels, MMA Shorts can enable a greater freedom of motion to reduce restriction of your movements as much as possible.

MMA Training Exercises – “The 1-2 Jab / Cross Combo Drill”

MMA-Orth-StanceWhether you are an MMA beginner or just looking to add something new to your exercise regime, this basic drill can provide an excellent cardio vascular workout.

For this particular exercise it is important that you are familiar with the correct orthodox fighting stance for MMA, as this will provide a basis for this and many other types of MMA training and striking drills.

Specifically for this combination, you will also need to know how deliver a Left Jab and Right Cross punches too. This combo drill can be practiced either by hitting a heavy bag or by “shadow boxing” or included in to your one on one sparring sessions.

Once you have mastered the basic orthodox stance (A) and technique for both your Jab and Cross punches, you can really start to rev up the gears and execute the steps described below at a faster pace.

To assume the stance shown in image (A), have your left foot forward in the “12 o’clock” position with your right foot facing out in the “3 o’clock” position. Closing your hands in to fists, bring them up as shown in the image to form your guard, with your left hand slightly further in front. If you are a left handed, you will need to assume a southpaw stance, for which you’ll need to reverse the positioning of the leading foot and hand as described for the orthodox stance.

 

 

The 4 Step “1-2 Jab / Cross Combo Drill”

MMA-Drill-Stance
1 –Ai??Starting from your orthodox stance

MMA-Left-Jab
2 –Ai??Throw a straight left jab. As you extend your arm you should be rotating your wrist at the same time.

MMA-R-Cross
3 –Ai??Bringing the left jab back in, you should turn your body to enable you to move straight in to the right cross punch. Your left hand should be brought up to your left cheek to protect your face as the cross is delivered.

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4 – Withdrawing the cross should see you returning back to your starting position in the orthodox stance. Repeat this basic drill non-stop for 30 seconds at a time.

Depending on your skill level and reasons for training you can carry out this drill by practising this combination on a Heavy Bag. Heavy Bag training will help to improve your power and also give your muscles more of workout.

Working on this with a sparring partner can also add an extra dimension to the workout. Have your sparring partner wear some good quality Focus Pads to further improve your striking power and accuracy.

For any type of Bag, Pad or Sparring training it is also important that you are wearing the right Gloves for the job too. On the Heavy Bag, you will need to look at Boxing Glove at the lighter end of the weight scale, typically 10oz Gloves are most commonly used. For sparring with a partner, 14oz to 16oz Gloves are recommended to provide the extra protection for both you and your training partner.

If you are incorporating this drill in to an all round MMA sparring session then you may want to look at 7oz MMA Hybrid Sparring Gloves, to give your hands some extra padded protection, yet at the same time leaving your hands free enough to engage fully on practising your ground game.

10 Sports That Have Put the Mixed in MMA [Infographic]

MOne reason we all love Mixed Martial Arts is the huge variety of exciting moves, hits and kicks that can be seen in every fight.

No one bout is the same as the next and the crowd are often left breathless, wondering what will happen next.

Part of the reason for such exciting action is the fact that MMA has evolved from a number of combat sports from around the world, combining the very best disciplines and producing some of the fittest and competitive martial artists in the world.

This infographic takes a look at the origins of MMA and why the sport has become one of the most exciting and popular in the world.

Want to use this awesome-looking graphic for your blog? Simply copy the code below!

Embed this MMA Infographic on Your Site

An infographic by the team at MMA Fightwear

Fighters Only World MMA Awards – Hayabusa Nomination

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We are proud to announce that Hayabusa has been nominated for Best Technical Equipment and Best Technical Clothing brand as part of the Fighters Only World MMA Awards.

The awards are set to take place in Las Vegas at The Venetian on Friday 7th February.

Nominees have been highlighted by a team of industry insiders and hand picked fighters to put forward their recommendations for the brands that are at the forefront of the MMA clothing and equipment industry.

Nominees are deemed to have made the most outstanding contributions in terms of bringing the most innovative and highest quality products to the market.

The technical clothing which has helped Hayabusa earn the nomination in this category are;

• Metaru 47™ Rashguards

• Our range of Hayabusa Fight Shorts

• Compression Wear and Performance Apparel

If you need a little reminder as to why Hayabusa have been put forward as a potential winner of the Best Technical Equipment brand, refresh your memory and check out the:

Mirai™, Tokushu™, Kanpeki Elite™, Ikusa™ and Pro Training Series.

Don’t forget to make your vote count and get involved in deciding who will win! Click Here