To become a professional MMA fighter, you have to train as hard as you can. Training hard means increasing the risk of getting rashes and injuries. One injury during your training and you will be in bed for the next couple of days, weeks, or months. To avoid such mishaps, MMA fighters use safety gear like MMA gloves and rash guards.
It doesn’t matter if you are an experienced MMA fighter or an amateur; you are always at a risk of getting rash, scratches, or muscle injuries while training. To stay on the safer side, you have to consider wearing rash guards so you can focus on polishing your fighting skills.
What Is The Need Of Rash Guards In MMA?
MMA fighters are not robots or superheroes; they are human beings with the same skins and bodies. They have to perform many acts while fighting in the ring. If you compare MMA with Boxing, you will find boxing a lot easier since the fighters only have to worry about punches. But in MMA, fighters have to kick and roll on the mat (floor), which can result in rashes.
So, to avoid skin rashes and muscle injuries, MMA fighters need rash guards. Yes, rash guards don’t guarantee 100% protection against rashes and other injuries, but they still are better than fighting in ordinary shirts. Also, wearing rash guards boosts your confidence so you can focus on your fights rather than on your protection and stability.
Apart from protection against rashes, there are many benefits that you can get from rash guards as an MMA fighter. So, let’s check them out.
What Are The Benefits Of Rash Guards For MMA Fighters?
Anything that is in-demand always has some benefits of using it. The same is the case with rash guards. MMA fighters use rash guards not only to prevent rashes but also to get additional benefits to help them get better and stronger.
Following are the 5 benefits of wearing rash guards as an MMA fighter:
1. Protection Against Rashes
It is one of the main reasons why MMA fighters wear rash guards. This benefit of rash guards hooks the attention of amateur MMA fighters because they don’t have the courage to bear rashes and mat burns. It is the reason why not many professional MMA fighters wear rash guards. However, awareness is increasing quickly among MMA fighters.
Unlike other safety MMA gadgets like MMA gloves and mouthguards, rash guards offer a wide range of protection. They protect your chest, back, and arms against rashes and mat burns. So, wearing rash guards while training is worth it for every MMA fighter.
2. Reduce Muscle Soreness
Rash guards are pretty good at reducing muscle soreness. If you wear rash guards during your MMA training, they will increase the overall blood circulation of your body. It is one of the reasons why rash guards are good at reducing muscle soreness.
We understand that you can’t perform at 100% due to muscle soreness. Yes, rash guards will not eliminate muscle soreness, but they surely will reduce it to a great extent. Thus, instead of wearing ordinary MMA shirts, try wearing rash guards for MMA fighters and you will feel the difference. And not to forget, rash guards will help you stay active and pumped up.
3. No Sweating
Don’t get us wrong because rash guards don’t stop your body from sweating. However, they dry pretty fast which makes them way better than ordinary shirts. What makes rash guards different from ordinary shirts is the material used. Most shirts are made of fabric or cotton, while rash guards are made of polyester and nylon.
For those who don’t know, polyester and nylon-related materials dry faster than ordinary pieces of cloth. So, if you don’t want to get irritated due to sweating during your MMA fight, you should try wearing a rash guard rather than ordinary shirts. Also, wearing rash guards will prevent sweat from reaching your hands. Thus, it will allow you to stay focused on your fight.
4. Better Stability
Here is another benefit of wearing rash guards that we came to know through our personal experience. It would be hard to believe that wearing rash guards will provide you with better stability during your MMA fights. But how? By pressuring your muscles. Rash guards perfectly fit your body and put pressure on your muscles and joints to increase stability.
As we mentioned earlier, wearing rash guards increases blood circulation in your body, which reduces muscle soreness and improves your recovery process. Better stability means better fighting skills, and better fighting skills mean more chances of winning.
5. Breathability
Last but not least is better breathability. We considered it a worth mentioning benefit of wearing rash guards as amateurs might think that rash guards would not be breathable. Yes, rash guards are fit, which is why they put more pressure on your muscles, but they are also breathable at the same time. So, don’t feel confused in terms of breathability.
Regardless of how fit rash guards are, they still allow air circulation that makes them breathable at the same time. It is the reason why they keep your body dry throughout your fights. However, you have to make sure that you buy the best size for yourself to enjoy all benefits of rash guards.
How To Choose The Right Rash Guard?
Rash guards are indeed one of the best gears for MMA fighters, but you have to choose the right rash guard to enjoy all the benefits. Following are the things you need to consider to buy the right rash guard for yourself.
Choose The Right Size
It is the most important factor to consider when buying rash guards for yourself. Don’t rush towards quality rash guards if they don’t fit you perfectly. If rash guards don’t fit you, you will not get the desired results out of them. Note that the size of rash guards varies from brand to brand so you have to do extensive research to find the best size for yourself.
The best way is to check the buyer reviews section as it will surely help you out. So, don’t blindly trust the size chart without doing your research.
Understand The Type
Rash guards are available in both short and long sleeves. It depends on your preference, but we recommend long sleeve rash guards for added protection. Apart from this, you have to make sure that your rash guards have wide collars and suit your body shape. These types of rash guards will help you perform all your grappling and sparring acts more perfectly.
Brand
People think that brand doesn’t matter, but as per our experience, they do matter. We are not saying that new brands don’t offer quality products. However, as a professional MMA fighter, you can’t take any risk. So, instead of wasting time and money trying rash guards from new and cheap brands, we recommend buying from well-known brands of the world.
As an amateur MMA fighter, you can consider buying rash guards from:
- Adidas
- Sanabul
- Raven Fightwear
- Elite Sports
So, always keep these points in mind when buying rash guards for yourself so you don’t regret your purchase.
Conclusion
There you have it, a comprehensive discussion about why MMA fighters wear rash guards. Nowadays, rash guards have become popular in gyms, martial arts, and similar sports. However, you have to make sure you buy the best rash guards so you get your desired results.
We hope that we made it all clear about rash guards, their benefits, and how to buy the best rash guards for yourself. Do let us know in the comments if you still have any questions.
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