Islam Makhachev & Dustin Poirier have very different reviews of new UFC gloves

The fighters who compete at UFC 302 will be the first to use the new UFC gloves which were announced in April. The gloves are meant to reduce cuts, eye pokes and hand breaks but Islam Makhachev isn't so sure that's what they'll actually do.

The UFC lightweight champion will be the first to wear the gold version of the gloves, reserved for the champions and he's been training with the new gloves for his upcoming title defense with Dustin Poirier. But he doesn't seem like he's a fan of the product so far.

“The new gloves are very stiff,” he said in a recent interview. “They will cause more cuts, as the previous UFC gloves were softer. These are stiffer. They don’t let you fully open your hand just to make sure the fingers don’t extend straight forward.”

Even though he had some criticsm about the gloves, he still thinks they are pretty cool and a historic moment in UFC history as he'll be the first to wear them. “But overall they are pretty much the same,” he said. “I am going to frame them next to the belt as the first golden gloves in the UFC. I believe that means a lot.”

Dustin Poirier has conflicting review of new UFC gloves

His opponent had a different take on the new gloves, almost the exact opposite of Makhachev's in fact. "I like them.  They're a lot easier to make a closed fist," Poirier said while on a recent episode of The MMA Hour. "The problem with the old UFC gloves, they were kind of built flat.  We'd have to roll them up in the back and make it easier because your forearm gets full of blood.  It's like you're straining to make a closed first with those other ones."

He continued, "These are a lot softer.  I know that they're lighter. They're just easier to make a closed fist. I like them better."      

We had the chance to try on the gloves during UFC 300 fight week and we thought they felt felt softer and easier to bend. Of course, we don't have to fight in them so out opinion really isn't all that important.

UFC 302 takes place on Saturday, June 1 in New Jersey. The 12 fight card will begin at 6 p.m. ET and air on ESPN+ with the main card taking place at 10 p.m. ET.