MMA Shorts

MMA shorts are made for kicking, sprawling and grappling, so the cut has to leave your legs free and the waist has to stay put. The main designs are board-style shorts, shorter hybrid cuts, and dual-layer shorts with a compression liner built in. Side slits and stretch panels are common ways of freeing up the legs.

Check the length and how the waist fastens: a drawstring, hook-and-loop, or a front closure with drawstrings. Check the fabric and any stretch panels too, and use the maker's own size chart. Some training shorts add a pocket, for example for a mouthguard, which competition rules restrict.

For competition, IMMAF's January 2021 amateur rules allow no pockets, zips or fasteners on shorts and require any lace-up waistband to sit on the inside (section 15). UWW's amateur MMA rules require shorts that cover at least two-thirds of the thigh and stop no lower than the top of the knee. The same rules allow no external Velcro, pockets, zips or metal (Article 1.2). The ABC's professional Unified Rules bar hems below the knee and exposed Velcro, pockets or zips (Rule 11). Check your event's rules before buying shorts for a bout.