The complete guide
Sizing MMA gloves, and why it matters more than padding
Fit first, padding second
A well padded glove in the wrong size protects less than a thin glove in the right one.
Too big, and the moulded core shifts off the knuckles on impact. You land on the edge of the padding or past it entirely, which is how people bruise knuckles wearing gloves.
Too small, and the wrist strap cannot close properly, so the wrist is unsupported at exactly the moment it needs support.
Measuring properly
Wrap a tape around your palm at the widest point, across the knuckles, with the thumb excluded. That number is what glove sizing is based on.
If you wrap, measure over the wrap. Hand wraps add real bulk, and a glove sized to a bare hand will not close over them.
Between sizes? Go up if you wrap for every session, down if you mostly drill bare handed.
Check the strap closes with room. A strap at the very end of its travel on day one will be uncomfortable by week three.
What open palm means for your training
The open palm is the entire reason MMA gloves exist as a category.
You can grip. Clinch, collar ties, underhooks, ground work: none of it works in a closed boxing glove.
You get less padding. That is the trade. These are not boxing gloves and should not be used as them for heavy sparring.
Your fingers are exposed. Which is why finger injuries happen in MMA and not in boxing. Technique and control matter more here than equipment.
Wraps
For bag and pad work, wrap. The padding here covers the knuckles, not the small bones and joints in the hand, and the bag does not care how good you are.
For technical drilling and grappling rounds, most people do not, and that is normal.
The thing that decides how long they last
Air them.
Every glove that has ever smelled did so because it was packed away sealed and wet. Open them, spread the palm, leave them out. Wipe the outside occasionally. That is the whole maintenance routine, and it is the difference between a season and several years.