Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor will fight in eight-ounce gloves after the Nevada State Athletic Commission voted unanimously on Wednesday to approve the measure.
Because the fight between Mayweather and McGregor is contracted at 154 pounds, regulations state that the athletes must wear 10-ounce gloves.
Both fight camps filed a motion with the commission to approve the use of smaller gloves as a one time exception, which was then approved during a meeting in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
All of the commissioners weighed in on the subject with some small objections being made — including the idea of doing further study on the effects of smaller glove size being used in boxing matches at higher weights — but ultimately the vote was unanimous.
It’s a one-time exception according to the commission, who approved the measure but cautioned that they would examine the gloves before and after the fight to ensure fighter safety as well as further study after the event is finished.
Mayweather had originally raised the idea to wear eight-ounce gloves for the fight and McGregor gladly accepted the challenge.
The UFC lightweight champion then warned Mayweather that he was setting himself up for disaster by suggesting the move from 10-ounce gloves down to eight-ounce gloves for the fight.
“If we go eight-ounces…he’ll be unconscious inside two rounds,” McGregor said. “Really one round, only for the 10-second count, I will give him surviving into the second [round] but if it’s not and it’s 10-ounce [gloves] maybe four rounds. Under [10] ounce, he is certainly unconscious and that’s it.”
Now McGregor has his wish and he’ll face Mayweather wearing eight-ounce gloves when they step in the ring together on Aug. 26 in Las Vegas.
