How can you best prepare for a combat sports match or fight? Technique training, strength, and conditioning, and all that is great, but unless you spar live, you’ll never get close to what’s waiting for you in the cage. However, when it comes to MMA, this raises lots of questions. How can you go live in a sport where you’re literally using every possible weapon your body posses to get the victory? To be clear, MMA sparring is the most serious part of MMA training and is also the area most people get wrong. It is also an aspect of training that requires not just the most gear, but also the highest quality gear. Our guide today will cover the absolute Best MMA sparring gear you can get in 2021 to prepare yourself for war!
The most important thing in MMA sparring is not down to the gear. The first things that will make or break your MMA career are great coaches and great sparring partners. However, coming in second only to the human factor is MMA sparring gear. After all the point of MMA competition is to punch, kick, throw, tackle, and strangle the opponent in any way possible. That means that preparing for a match will put you through much of the same, on an almost daily basis. If you’re to have any hope of training as real as possible and still make it to your fight unscathed, you’ll need the best MMA sparring gear to help you through it. Luckily for you, we have the ultimate 2021 guide that’ll outfit you from head to toes!
Safe MMA Sparring
The dangers of MMA fighting are clear to everyone. There’s literally no other sport that can offer as much various potential damage as mixed martial arts. Every martial art that is an integral part of MMA has its fair share of injuries. While it is not probable that you’ll suffer the worst of the worst, you still need to make sure you take every precaution possible. After all, traumatic brain injuries are not something you need to take lightly.
there is one aspect of concussions that people don’t seem to really understand. For most, it is understandable as they’re not really exposed to the threat. However, MMA fighters and athletes engaging in contact sports need to understand head trauma. Concussions actually have a cumulative effect, meaning that each and everyone, no matter how small, counts. What’s even scarier is that it takes years for smaller ones to show symptoms, and it is irreversible. That should be the one key alarm bell for anyone sparring without high-quality MMA sparring gear.
Apart from the head, injury potential is huge for joints as well. This is where the best MMA sparring gear can really make a difference. While wrist, knee, ankle, and other joint injuries might not be as serious as head trauma they can certainly be significant. One bad twist of your wrist, or one bad kick check and you’ll have to pull out of a fight. Save your body for actual MMA fighting and make sure you use the best MMA sparring gear of 2021 for your preparations.
Best MMA Sparring Gear 2021 Guide
When you first sign up for MMA the frit couple of items you get for your day-to-day use include MMA gloves, and perhaps shin pads. This is only half correct. Shin pads are absolutely necessary and need to be one of the first things you get. With gloves, however, you should always prioritize MMA sparring gloves over fight gloves. While you can train MMA grappling and certain other aspects with fight gloves on, you can’t really go live. there are specialized MMA sparring gloves that allow you to both grapple and strike when you’re training.
Another hugely important item is a mouthpiece. As you’ll see later on, mouthguards not only protect your teeth and jaw but also your neck and skull. While on the subject of your skull, the best protection for your head and neck comes in the form of MMA headgear. While you may get away with using the common gym headgear for a while, consider investing in your own. it’ll last you a lifetime it’ll stay much cleaner than the common gym gear. Plus, you can be certain you’re getting the best possible protection!
Finally, there’s the chest protector, which many people see as optional, and the groin cup. AS far as the first one goes, if you want to avoid any potential setbacks during your fight, wear a chest protector when sparring, it is that simple. As far as groin cups are concerned, I think there’s no real need for explanation – you need one, and you know it!
RDX LEATHERHEAD GUARD
The RDX Leather Head Guard is one of the best helmets ever built for sparring! It not only looks awesome but also offers crazy levels of protection. Every little detail, from the construction, through the design all the way to the materials used is flawless. High quality that’ll last you a lifetime for a really affordable price. A real no-brainer!
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The RDX Leather Head Guard, as the name suggests, is made out of leather. In this case, it is high-grade Maya hide leather, that’s virtually indestructible. The filling is Tri-Slab Max-Shock foam padding that’s certified to withstand any impact you might experience in MMA. For maximal protection, there’s also a removable high-quality plastic face-grill. There is an adjustable Quick EZ strap to ensure a snug fit. Even so, there are five different sizes available, ranging from small to extra large. Moreover, there are four different designs of the helmet available. All have a black base, while variations include black, blue, pink, and red. The final caveat is the presence of shock-absorbent gel tech that further extends the impact absorbing properties of the padding.
*Check-Out All Of The Best MMA Helmets In Our 2021 Guide HERE
SANABUL ESSENTIAL HYBRID MMA SHIN GUARDS
Shin pads are a piece of gear that is actually pretty straightforward. You get a pair of shin pads to keep your shins and insteps safe when you’re striking and more importantly when you’re defending kicks. In our quest for the best MMA sparring gear, we found that the absolute best pair of shin guards are the Sanabul Essential Hybrid shin guards.
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Sanabul is a brand that never fails to deliver the highest quality MMA and grappling gear. This pair of shin guards is both extremely comfortable and lightweight while offering maximum protection. There’s special Snabul one-piece protection foam padding specifically designed from MMA and Muay Thai. There’s also an articulated instep that conforms to your foot perfectly. The outside is Neoprene, secured with two leg fasteners for a snug fit. The combination of materials also guarantees durability even with everyday use. There are three sizes available in extra small, small/medium, and large/extra large. The shin guards come in one of six possible designs, featuring black, red, copper, blue, green, and silver.
*Check Out All Of The Best MMA Shin Guard In Our 2021 Guide HERE
VENUM ELITE SPARRING GLOVES
Finally, we arrive at the item most people go for first – MMA gloves. As you can see, our choice is MMA sparring gloves that are more similar to adults and youth boxing rather than MMA fight gloves. The reason is that MMA fight gloves inflict too much damage even under the best of circumstances. MMA sparring gloves are a completely different story and they don’t come much better than Venum’s Elite Sparring Gloves.
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There’s no need to go into the pedigree Venum ha as an MMA gear brand. They are pretty much a synonym for the highest quality gear. Their prices also vary a lot, but we have the best possible deal for you in this particular case. The Venum Elite Sparring Gloves are premium Skintex leather gloves. The construction includes a specialized mesh panel right under the first to provide thermal regulation and extra comfort. The padding is triple density foam, protecting both your hands and your partner’s head and body. A great feature is a reinforced palm that translates better impact-absorbing properties. A 100% attached thumb further elevates the level of protection the gloves offer. Moreover, there are more than a dozen different multi-colored designs available plus sizes from 8 oz all the way to 16 oz.
*Check Out All Of The Best MMA Sparring Gloves In Our 2021 Guide HERE
PROFORCE LIGHTNING SPORTS CHEST PROTECTOR
A chest protector is a piece of gear that most people do not associate with MMA. We see such protective gear in Karate and Taekwondo matches regularly though. Given that these are high-impact martial arts, it makes sense to have one when you’re doing MMA sparring. We feature an unbelievably useful one here as part of our best MMA sparring gear 2021 guide.
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The ProForce Lighting Chest Protector is a vest that’s designed to withstand the force of body shots, whether they are punches or kicks. Given the number of knees from the clinic that are common to MMA, having one on when you spar is very logical. Fighting with a cracked rib is not a pleasant experience and wearing one of these might prevent you from ever having to nurse such an injury. The chest protector has a 3/4 ” section dipped foam. It also has a four-point elastic strap system and a Nylon waist strap that keep it firmly in place. Sizes available include everything between small and extra-large, but be sure to consult the size chart for precise measurements. Moreover, there are black, blue, white, and red versions currently available.
RDX GROIN GUARD CUP
There’s no denying that groin protectors are a key piece of MMA gear. However, that doesn’t mean you only need to wear them in the cage! While they can be a bit uncomfortable, particularly during grappling, they’re also a key piece of MMA sparring gear that you can’t skip over. RDX’s groin guard cup is the perfect solution to improve both your protection and comfort.
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This groin protector is of the jock strop variety and it offers unrivaled levels of protection. In fact, it protects not only your sensitive groin area but also surrounding structures and even your abdomen. It is made from Maya hide leather and is available in black. The groin cup is detachable which makes cleaning and even transporting it really convenient. The cup itself is triangular and made from steel, offering complete shock absorption. A closed-cell rim ensures comfort even when withstanding big impacts. The groin protector has a Quick EZ hook and loop closure system to help with adjustability. Furthermore, there are four different sizes available: small, medium, large, and extra-large.
Check Out All Of The Best MMA Groin Cups In Our 2021 Guide HERE
VENUM PREDATOR MOUTHGUARD
There’s no best MMA sparring gear without a mouthguard. in fact, there won’t be much sparring at all. Mouthguards play a huge role in the protection not only of your teeth but your jaw, neck, and even skull. And Venum is one of the best in the business when it comes to MMA mouth guards. Their Predator mouthguard is a great example of that.
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As far as Venum is concerned, variety is obviously high on top of their list, as usual, they provide a bunch of variation on the same mouthguard, a total of 14, in fact. They come in all kinds of different colors, from black and white to neon pink. The mouthguard features a NeXT Gel frame that provides extreme comfort. Multi-layered construction also guarantees advanced impact dispersion, improving the absorption rate. The material is high-density rubber, and the design allows for maximal breathability and airflow. This is a boil-and-bite type of mouthguard so you can adjust it yourself. Comes with a storage case.
Check Out All Of The Best MMA Mouth Guards In Our 2021 Guide HERE
STAR SPORTS SPARRING GEAR SET
Our final entry here might not be particularly MMA specific, but it is a great option for beginners in particular. What we have here, rounding off our best MMA sparring gear 2021 guide, is one of the best deals ever. namely, this is a full-contact sparring set that includes pretty much every piece of gear we covered earlier.
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Just to make things clear from the beginning, this set is more geared towards Karate or Taekwondo training. However, for beginner MMA fighters, this is an awesome way to save money, and still, get lots of quality gear in the process. What you get is a total of 11 pieces for an incredible price. The set includes a helmet, two groin cups, two pairs of shin pads, two mouthguards with storage cases, two chest protectors, and two gym bags. In fact, if you decide to split this with a training partner, you’ll end up paying a ridiculously small amount and get almost everything you need. two more pairs of sparring gloves and an additional helmet and both of you will be ready to go!
How To Recognize The Best MMA Sparring Gear
When choosing MMA gear you need to understand a few key points. First up, you need the best MMA sparring gear available. Secondly, you need to get the right gear to protect every important body part and stay as safe as possible during live training. Finally, you need to know what makes the best MMA sparring gear stand out over any other pieces of simial equipment. The first two key points were covered earlier in the article. Now, we’ll focus our attention on the final point – the defining characteristics of the best possible MMA sparring gear.
Something many people never consider is where sparring gear is made. Granted, there are manufacturers all over the world, but the best of the best are based in Thailand. Apart from that, make sure you’re looking for ISO standards that guarantee the gear can handle the potential impact. Next up is the build. The materials used in the construction of the gear play a key role. Namely, you want as tough an exterior as possible, with a dense and high shock-absorbing filling. Furthermore, every bit of gear has its own key characteristics which we cover in the reviews section above.
Factors that are also important to consider are the ease of maintenance (how easy it is to clean your gear and keep it clean), the price, the possible interactions of your skin with the materials, etc. All of these were taken into account as we put together our best MMA sparring ger 2021 guide.
Conclusion
Staying safe during sparring seems like a no-brainer, yet many people end up pulling out of fights because of sparring accidents. The est MMA sparring gear can ensure that you’ll stay safe at all times. Furthermore, it minimizes the potential for accidents and will significantly extend your MMA career. Not to mention that you’ll end up retiring with a clean bill of health when the time comes. Given that our best MMA sparring gear 2021 guide has the best possible deals, there’s no good reason why you shouldn’t go into sparring fully geared!
