Ladies and Gents,
I know a lot of you have been PMing me about these gloves. So Im here to do a review. I waited awhile on doing these as I didnt want 3 back to back UMA reviews. So I made sure I spaced them out!
Anyhow for those that dont know what UMA is, its an acronym for Universal Martial Arts (UMA for short). These guys are another homegrown company that have been doing very well fulfilling orders here at Sherdog. They do specialize in custom gear but they do Bulk orders as well!
Anyhow, I know many of you have asked what is so special about these gloves? The IR edition is basically my initials and UMA did a great job of asking what I wanted for a glove. They are a hybrid type of glove. Super protective with a Mexican style "bang" to them.
It was always challenging finding a glove that had both characteristics of a Mexican style glove as well as being protective. This glove balances that formula out without sacrificing too much of one or the other. It also got rid of a lot of weaknesses that particular style of glove had. Like the thumb being too short, or the hand compartment being too big, or the wrist not offering enough support. Basically, I wanted to fix all the weaknesses each glove type had. So UMA and I got together and we hashed it out from the drawing board. It took a little bit to dial in the foam, and get that nice natural curve to the striking area but when it was all said and done. I can honestly say these are my favorite pair of gloves, period. I know I have a long history of reviewing and trying different types of gloves and most of the time I offered answers like, if its your style or if this is what you are seeking but I feel these will answer MOST of guys/gals requests out there as it marries a lot of my favorite gloves Ive personally used into one "Super glove."
The Look/Fit/Feel:
These gloves are nice and snug with wraps on, the liner is soft and the glove is very natural feeling. The glove uses high quality leather with the colors of Black for the base, copper for the inner thumb, grip bar and wrist, and piping in the palm area. The rest of the glove is a spackled silver. I went with the spackled leather because it was a new look and I felt it gave a lot of depth to the glove. It offered a nice detail to the glove which I havent seen, the silver may not be for everyone but I personally liked it. The metallic are very beautiful, I wanted something new other than the usual black with gold. The silver is very brilliant its easily one of the best looking silvers out there, right on par with Reyes silver. The copper is a rather new color to me. I know its been out there awhile but I liked how vibrant this looked in comparison to other coppers Ive seen.
I wanted something to reflect my active duty Air Force career so I went with an eagle for the logo. I felt anyone else getting these gloves, an eagle could represent anything. I also wanted something more reserved than the skulls I had another pair...
I was never a lace up fan, so all my custom gloves these days sport my standard 4 inch robust Velcro for maximum wrist support. I hate thin-flimsy wrist straps, so I like to get something a bit more supportive. The glove itself is supremely well balanced, easy to make a fist, and the thumb should accommodate most thumbs out there.
The glove stays really cool with the UMA liner, and we have 8 vent holes to boot. 4 on the thumb, 4 in the palm area. Lastly, the stitching is on point.
I also wanted to correct the Reyes thumb issue that many of you guys have issues with, so the thumb is far more conventional, and accommodate most thumbs. I know some of you guys out there that have wicked long thumbs, that are like 10 inches long, youll have to get with the guys at UMA to get a properly sized thumb, but no worries this is a custom glove, so make it yours.. and make sure it fits right!
Lastly, as in all my custom gloves that I have made for me, Im a firm believer in the 4inch Velcro so that support and wrist stability will not be an issue. I also do not like dealing with the hassles of lace-ups especially when performing circuit training.
Performance:
These gloves offer solid protection. I didnt want the padding to be identical to Winning... then we would have another Winning clone. This is a new type of foam, I really couldnt compare it to anything out there right now as it still lends itself to the Punchers glove aspect
So before anyone takes anything I say out of context THIS IS NOT A WINNING CLONE. I think many of you that have zero hand issues will LOVE this glove. I also dont want to paint the glove as being non-protective either. I know some people have bought the IR editions already on eBay, I wish they would jump on here and confirm how good the gloves are.
While these gloves do not bottom out all the way like Reyes would, you do feel your knuckles rise to the surface somewhat. Its not a true puncher's glove but it is one of sorts. You stay protected while knowing you landed that solid hit. They arent overly padded like IMF, which don't let you know exactly where you hit due to the super accented pre-curved fist. These are indeed layered foam.
I just liked how the gloves stayed cool, the satisfying pop sound, and the non-gimmicky nature of the glove. I prefer the more traditional style glove that does the right thing. Im big into feedback, and while trying to dial in the foam, thats often things you miss from a Mexican style glove is often there is little to no feedback. Dont confuse this with shock, or lack of absorption. Let me assure you, there is no pain when you land that magical hit. When you land THAT solid hit, you know, you feel every square inch of the glove, and know that was a perfect shot. That is what I look for... That is what gloves often miss.
Weight:
16 Oz gloves came in at 16.1oz each.
Cost:
$100 + Shipping
Overall:
These are my favorite glove hands down. I absolutely love them. While they wont be for everyone, they are definitely for me. They are a different type of glove: While remaining protective, you dont really sacrifice the feedback element. I think too many of us want a glove that is a copy of Winning/Reyes while never really giving anything else a chance. I think if you love a punchers glove but want a bit more protection, this IS the glove.
Score:
A+
Contact:
[email protected]
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