Dana White Reveals $100 Million Demand That Killed UFC’s Glove Deal With Trevor Wittman

by Kshitiz Kumar Singh

The long-running issue of eye pokes and concerns over UFC gloves reached a new level following UFC 321. In the heavyweight title fight, Tom Aspinall suffered an eye poke from Ciryl Gane, resulting in the first championship bout in UFC history to end in a no-contest inside the Octagon. The incident reignited criticism of the promotion’s glove design and renewed calls for change. The UFC briefly introduced a redesigned glove in 2024, but the model received mixed feedback from fighters, with notable names such as Sean Strickland and Jon Jones voicing their dissatisfaction. 

As a result, the design was eventually discontinued. One potential solution has come from Justin Gaethje’s coach, Trevor Wittman, who developed a new glove through his company, ONX Sports. Unlike standard UFC gloves, which are stitched to lay flat and naturally force the fingers to extend outward when the hand is relaxed, Wittman’s design features an ergonomically pre-curved finger shape.

The glove’s natural resting position keeps the fingers curled into a soft fist, meaning a fighter must make a deliberate effort to straighten them. This reduces involuntary finger extension and, in theory, significantly lowers the risk of accidental eye pokes without limiting grappling exchanges or other aspects of MMA. The gloves have received strong public support from prominent figures, including Joe Rogan and UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans, who has been closely associated with ONX Sports. 

 

ALSO READ: Islam Makhachev Reveals Why He Has No Interest in Competing in RAF Matches Like Arman Tsarukyan and Khamzat Chimaev

Rogan recently described the delay in adopting the gloves as criminal on the JRE MMA Show #181 with Gaethje’s coach. Meanwhile, Wittman also revealed during an appearance on Rogan’s show that discussions with UFC executives had resumed regarding the potential implementation of the design. However, Dana White recently explained why the gloves have not yet been introduced. 

Speaking at the UFC Vegas 119 post-fight press conference, White addressed the failed negotiations behind the scenes that took place sometime in 2021. He revealed, “We’ve been talking to Trevor for years. Rashad Evans, whom I love and respect, came to me and said, ‘Hey, listen. I’m invested in this thing. We think that we have a great product here. And I would love to introduce our glove to the Trevor built.’ So we looked at [it].”

As already stated, Evans has played an important role in the development and testing of ONX Sports gloves. While Wittman founded the company and spearheaded the design process, the former UFC light heavyweight champion served as both a key tester and one of the brand’s most visible ambassadors. In fact, Evans was also responsible for first introducing the gloves to Joe Rogan during a podcast appearance in 2020, helping bring wider attention to the innovative X-Factor design.

White added, “I literally told my finance team, ‘Get this deal done. I don’t care what it takes. Get the deal done. They wanted like $100 million for the glove. You know how many fucking gloves you gotta sell to make $100 million? It’s impossible. So the deal never happened. Denny, the girl who runs that department… she came back to me like cross-eyed, like, ‘I can’t get a deal done with these guys. That deal should’ve been done a few years ago. I wanted to do that, so we’ll see. I am not confident at all [whether the deal happens].”

 

Still, there appears to be renewed optimism surrounding the possibility of a partnership this time around. Wittman has openly acknowledged his role in the previous negotiations falling apart and has since taken a step back from the business side of ONX Sports. Instead, he has entrusted experienced dealmakers to handle discussions with the UFC while he focuses on the product itself.

Speaking with Rogan, Wittman expressed confidence that an agreement can finally be reached. He said, “We’re gonna get it done. I’ve stepped away from the business part. I’m the visionary now. So, I’ve got the right people who know how to make deals. It’s right, and the UFC is going to be happy. I take full responsibility. I didn’t know that you could do deals all these different ways.”

With both sides seemingly more willing to find common ground than in previous years, the long-discussed glove deal may have a better chance of becoming a reality. Whether that ultimately leads to the UFC adopting Wittman’s eye-poke-reducing design remains to be seen, but the conversation appears to be moving forward once again.