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UFC Protective Gear: Do UFC Fighters Wear Cups?

Souvik Roy
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UFC Protective Gear: Do UFC Fighters Wear Cups?

Protective gears are a part of almost every sport. However, the degree of their importance increases when things comes to combat sports. Thus, there are several rules in the UFC as well, to ensure that fighters don’t get hit at the delicate points of their body. However, the fast-paced nature of the sport often causes fighters to commit unintentional fouls, including groin strikes.

The Unified Rules of MMA may have declared groin strikes as an illegal move. Still, most UFC fans may have witnessed fighters landing unintentional strikes in the groin area of their rivals. It’s quite understandable that even a single strike in an unwanted area can be fatal. This is why using ‘a cup’ to protect the area is indispensable for fighters.

Most UFC fans may have witnessed fighters going through the mandatory checks before taking to the octagon for a fight. It comprises three major parts:

  • Gloves and shorts check for any illegal items
  • Body check to ensure there is no extra greasing
  • Checking the ‘cup’ to ensure the safety of the groin area

The importance of UFC protective gears can be realized by the fact that fighters won’t be allowed to enter the octagon if they aren’t wearing a cup. However, avid UFC fans may have witnessed an example of how fighters also get in trouble with their cups.

UFC legend Michael Bisping had faced major trouble with his cup at UFC 217

Most UFC fans may remember the noted George’s Saint Pierre’s return to the UFC for a shot at the UFC middleweight gold. He also managed to defeat the noted former UFC middleweight king, Michael Bisping at UFC 217. But ‘The Count’ got into some trouble with his cup during the fight.

The 45-year-old stated that during the bout, his jockstrap ripped, exposing his metal cups to his body. Bisping had also described the entire incident in one of his podcast episodes as well. Hence, protective equipment may have become troublesome in a few cases for UFC fighters. However, the overall safety that they provide to their vulnerable body parts makes them indispensable in the UFC.

Post Edited By:Debmallya Chakraborty

About the author

Souvik Roy

Souvik Roy

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The coveted boxing bout between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson in 2002 was the first combat sports event that Souvik ever witnessed. However, he fell for the UFC when he knew about it in 2010. After starting as an occasional viewer back then, Souvik has been watching UFC events almost regularly from late 2017. He began his career as a UFC(MMA) and combat sports journalist in the year 2022 after gathering a lot of valuable knowledge about MMA and a few other combat sports disciplines. He has written more than 1300 articles about various UFC and other combat sports events prior to joining The SportsRush. Apart from being a journalist, Souvik is also an ardent fan of the UFC. Hence, he always looks to have conversations about the same with others. He has a deep affinity for striking part of MMA and other combat sports and Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier is the warrior of his choice in the current UFC roster. Souvik also serves as the Lead Vocalist of a rock band during his time free from publishing reports.

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