MMA Gear & Equipment

MMA borrows from striking and grappling, and the kit list reflects that. Here is the full range, and a sensible order to buy it in.

Rash Guards

No-gi tops built for grip, sweat and scrambles.

Rash Guard Sets

Matched top and spat sets, ready for the mats.

Fight Shorts

Four-way stretch shorts cut for full range of motion.

Gi & Kimonos

Competition-weight kimonos for gi training.

MMA Gloves

Open-palm gloves for grappling and striking.

Sparring Gloves

Padded gloves for controlled sparring rounds.

Boxing Gloves

MMA, boxing and Muay Thai gloves for bag work and sparring.

Shin Guards

Protective shin and instep guards for striking work.

Headgear

Head protection for sparring and competition.

Hand Wraps

Wrist and knuckle support under every glove.

Mouthguards

Boil-and-bite protection for teeth and jaw.

Gear Bags

Duffles and backpacks that carry a full kit.

Finger Tape

Grip tape that keeps knuckles and fingers together.

Building an MMA kit

MMA asks you to train several sports at once, and the equipment list is the sum of all of them. You need grappling kit that survives being gripped, striking kit that protects hands and shins, and protective equipment for the sparring that joins the two together. Bought all at once that is an expensive week, which is why it is worth knowing what you actually need on day one.

Start with what your gym requires to let you train: a mouthguard, hand wraps and a pair of gloves. Add a rash guard and fight shorts, which double as your grappling kit and your striking kit and are the most-used items you will own. That is a complete beginner kit and it will get you through the first few months of most MMA programmes.

Protective equipment comes next, driven by when you start sparring. Shin guards and heavier sparring gloves are the things that let you do contact work without accumulating injuries, and most gyms will tell you when you need them. Headgear is worth adding for the cuts and swelling, with the caveat that it is not concussion protection and should not change how hard you spar.

After that it is refinement. A gi if your gym trains gi jiu jitsu, a second pair of gloves so bag work is not eating your sparring pair, a bag that fits all of it, and finger tape once grip fighting starts finding the weak joints. None of it is urgent, and all of it lasts longer if you buy the durable version once.

Frequently asked questions

What gear do I need for my first MMA class?
Usually a mouthguard, hand wraps and gloves, plus a rash guard and shorts. Most gyms will not expect protective equipment until you start sparring — ask before you spend.
Can I use boxing gloves for MMA?
For bag and pad work, yes. You cannot grapple in them, so anything integrating takedowns or clinch work needs open-palm MMA gloves.
What should I buy first if money is tight?
Mouthguard, then wraps, then a rash guard. Those three cover the injuries that actually stop people training and cost less together than a single pair of good gloves.