ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Bellator MMA Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney said he’s so blown away by how the organization’s new glove design has curbed hand injuries that he’s willing to share the technology with anyone, including its chief rival, the UFC.
Earlier this year, the promotion collaborated with longtime partner and equipment manufacturer Everlast to debut a new “next-generation” PowerLock MMA fight glove.
The results, according to Rebney, have been phenomenal. Dean Lassiter, Bellator’s operations manager and cutman, worked with Everlast through rounds of tinkering and small adjustments. The finished product debuted earlier this year for the organization’s Season 10 debut.
“The hand injuries have gone down exponentially, and broken hands have gone down exponentially,” Rebney said on Friday, shortly after the conclusion of Bellator 118. “Guys who used to suffer the broken hands in the organization consistently, like (Bellator welterweight champion Douglas) Lima – who every time he’d throw one of those big overhand rights would end up in the hospital and have to get reconstructive surgery on his hand again – have no issues.”
Rebney said the organization is currently compiling data and will soon announce the results. He said fighters, fans and promoters will be amazed “when you see the release and see the actual numerical documentation on how much better hand-injury results are from our events since we changed those gloves.”
That’s the reason he said he doesn’t want the technology limited to Bellator, and instead, he wants it to become standard equipment for all MMA promotions.
“I would be willing to share these gloves and this technology with anybody – any small organization, the UFC, anybody who wants this technology,” he said. “They should have it because it has absolutely changed the dynamic of guys breaking their hands in our organization.”
The new gloves feature a slight curve to its design, as well as additional padding for the first and fifth metacarpal. Everlast also touts “redesigned” foam for the glove’s striking area. All together, they promote proper hand form and technique, with the promise to reduce face, hand and wrist injuries, according to Everlast Executive Vice President for Marketing, Sales and Product Matt Cowan.
“This next-generation fight glove provides superior comfort, support and protection to athletes without drastically changing the equipment they’ve grown accustomed to competing in,” he stated upon the initial announcement.
The gloves have been used in nine Bellator events this year, and Rebney said the results have been equally impressive in the fighters’ training camps.
He said one of the sport’s biggest issues – hand injuries requiring lengthy recovery time tables – now has been largely resolved.
“It’s almost gone from this company, and it’s because of that glove technology,” he said. “It’s shocking how cool it’s been in this company and for the most important thing we have, which is the fighters.”
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Statistics: Posted by ian_mac123 — May 3. 2014, 14:26 — Replies 0 — Views 15
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