Which MMA Mouth Guards Do UFC Fighters Wear?
Mixed Martial Arts have evolved over hundreds of years. Starting in 1993, the Ultimate Fighting Championship began its rise to the top of premiere MMA leagues. Since the primitive beginning of the sport, much has changed to make it safer for participants, including updated rules and advanced equipment. One of the most crucial pieces of protection worn by UFC fighters are MMA mouth guards, but what type of mouth guard do they wear?
It doesn’t matter what weight division the fighters are in, and it doesn’t matter if you are a champion or novice to the sport. Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, George St. Pierre, and Randy Couture all wore the same type of MMA mouth guard. For sports that involve direct contact to the mouth and face like boxing and MMA, fighters wear 6 mm mouth guards for protection. These mouth guards are layered for extra protection and offer an extra defense from punches, kicks, knees, and elbows.
Sports with indirect contact like basketball, hockey, and soccer typically have athletes wear 3 mm mouth guards. As MMA combines different styles of fighting, athletes in the sport need to be prepared for anything thrown at them. The 6 mm mouthguards worn by UFC fighters are thick enough to protect them from the fiercest of attacks, while still maintaining comfort and allowing the fighters to breathe comfortably which is crucial in the fighting world. If an MMA fighter is wearing a mouth guard that is too bulky or not properly trimmed, it can cause them to tire more easily and become an advantage for their opponent who has clear airways to keep them on the offense.
MMA and UFC fighters will choose to wear a custom mouth guard. These athletes need the max protection and tight fit around their teeth. They won’t choose over-the-counter boil and bite mouth guards that are found at drug and grocery stores. UFC fighters have their mouth guards custom crafted by teams of dental experts to ensure that their teeth are protected at all times. Over-the-counter cheap mouth guards can fall out easily causing the ref to stop the action and potentially deduct points from the fight. While this can be concerning, it’s nothing compared to the costly damage done to a mouth that is not properly protected with an MMA mouth guard. If a tooth is chipped or knocked out, it can cost thousands of dollars to repair. Custom mouth guards also have the advantage of better preventing blows to the head that result in potential concussions. With a custom MMA mouth guard, the force to the head is better absorbed into the mouth guard instead of the brain absorbing all the blow.
While MMA mouth guards are crafted to give you full protection, they can also be designed to show off your nickname or personality. Many UFC fighters opt to wear mouth guards that feature the flag from their native country or choose to have fangs, gold teeth, or Christian logos on their MMA mouth guards. You won’t find this type of customization with boil and bite guards. Some of the best customize mouth guards have come from SportingSmiles which allows MMA fighters to design their mouth guards or put in special requests. UFC fighters wear 6 mm mouth guards and you should too if you are an active fighter or joining the sport. These guards give you the max protection and are optimized for performance.
