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Friday 18 august 2017

Column: What’s in a smaller glove? More hype for the fight

By TIM DAHLBERG has been the rule. Until
AP Sports Columnist Wednesday, there had
LAS VEGAS (AP) — It’s only been no exceptions.
2 ounces of foam, 4 if you But tickets and pay-per-
count both hands. view had to be sold. More
Still, it was enough to make people had to be con-
Conor McGregor quite vinced that McGregor ac-
happy. tually has a chance in the
Floyd Mayweather Jr., too, ring with Mayweather.
because it likely means And convinced they were,
more sales for what could at least the ones betting
be the richest fight ever. at William Hill. Oddsmak-
Nevada boxing regulators ers there lowered the lop-
went out of their way to sided odds favoring May-
give a gift to both fighters, weather from minus-600 to
approving an exemption to minus-550 because they
the rule requiring 10-ounce will be fighting with smaller
gloves for the 154-pound gloves.
fight so that both fighters McGregor himself pre-
can wear 8-ounce gloves. dicted the smaller gloves
And just like that, the fight would make the night
appeared more competi- even easier for him.
tive — at least to some. “I believe now that gloves
Oddsmaker William Hill im- are eight ounces, I don’t
mediately boosted the believe he makes it out of
odds of McGregor winning, the second round,” Mc-
though they are still low. Gregor said.
And UFC chief Dana White “I do not see him absorb-
didn’t wait long to trum- In this July 13, 2017, file photo, Floyd Mayweather Jr., left, and Conor McGregor, of Ireland, face ing the blows in the first two
each other for photos during a news conference at Barclays Center in New York.
pet the smaller gloves as a Associated Press rounds.”
game changer. Most in boxing scoff at
“It affects the fight big vada State Athletic Com- scrambled in the ring or in ly,” said Dr. Larry Lovelace, that, saying the size of the
time,” White said. “When mission members were the octagon. who heads the association gloves would matter only if
we were in our original ne- happy to give it one. And in this case, they failed. and is also on the Okla- they were both forced to
gotiations it was something “It’s an unusual contest for It was bad enough that homa State Boxing Com- fight in 4-ounce UFC gloves
they would not even talk us as a commission,” chair- the commission approved mission. “It seemed almost that are open past the
about. man Anthony Marnell said. a novice boxer to go 12 capricious to change from knuckle.
I don’t know what Unusual, well, yes. The fight rounds with one of the best 10 ounces, which is the pre- There’s also a school of
changed, but I’m glad it matches an Irish UFC cham- fighters of all time, no ques- scribed weight of gloves for thought that smaller gloves
did. It makes it so much pion in his first professional tions asked. that weight class.” will actually help May-
more fun.” boxing match against a But commission members To be fair, there is no solid weather by making his
The underlying school of fighter who was throwing lost any remaining cred- medical evidence about hands even quicker.
thought is that McGregor punches before he could ibility when they agreed to the effects of getting hit But by allowing smaller
will have a better chance walk and who won all 49 change the glove size for with smaller gloves. But gloves, commission mem-
of knocking Mayweather of his pro fights before an- no real reason other than there was enough an- bers did more than just try
out with smaller gloves, nouncing his retirement. the two fighters asked for it ecdotal evidence that to lure a few more people
though Mayweather has But commission members to help build the hype. the Nevada commission to Las Vegas next week.
fought all but three of his — who regulate both UFC In doing so, they ignored a in 2006 adopted regula- They made a decision that,
professional fights with and boxing in Nevada — letter from the Association tions that call for 8-ounce in theory at least, could af-
8-ounce gloves and has are charged with protect- of Ringside Physicians ask- gloves in fights 147 pounds fect the outcome of the
never been knocked out in ing the health and safety ing them not to. or smaller, and 10-ounce fight.
any of them. of fighters. Their No. 1 job is “We hated to see them gloves for anything above And by any standard,
But the fight needed an- to make sure as few fighters break their own rules and that. that’s a bad decision to
other selling point, and Ne- as possible get their brains regulations kind of arbitrari- In the 11 years since, that make.q