Conor McGregor might have just scored his first mini victory over Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission on Wednesday approved the fighters’ request to wear 8-ounce gloves — rather than 10-ounce gloves — for their Aug. 26 boxing match at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The NSAC voted unanimously in favor of the one-time exception, which comes on the heels of both fighters stating publicly and via social media that they’d be willing to fight in 8-ounce gloves. Both fighters submitted waivers to the NSAC this month to request the smaller glove size.
This is an interesting twist, as NSAC regulations typically require fighters to wear 10-ounce gloves for any boxing match contested above 147 pounds. McGregor and Mayweather are scheduled to compete in a 12-round boxing match at 154 pounds.
The rule change also could work in McGregor’s favor. The UFC champion is accustomed to wearing 4-ounce gloves in mixed martial arts, so this would seem to even the playing field, albeit slightly, although Mayweather clearly doesn’t mind given that he also requested the smaller gloves.
In any event, the change goes against the recommendation of the Association of Ringside Physicians (ARP), which wrote in a letter to the NSAC before its ruling that no such change in glove size should be approved “unless there is scientific evidence to support the view that such a change might improve the safety of the bout.”
Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images
