‘Touch of Gloves’: MMA figures show appreciation to those who shined brightest in 2023

December 29, 2023 6:00 pm ET

‘”As real as it gets” is the UFC’s slogan to describe just how realistic MMA combat can be. But before fighters get to any of the face punching, they typically share a moment of respect, a moment of peace that represents their mutual acknowledgment for the struggle to arrive at the moment: the touch of gloves.

Fighters might beat each other up for as much as 25 minutes, but the respect for one another and the sport seldom goes away and the martial arts spirt is always with them.

In this year’s edition of “Touch of Gloves,” we see that spirt come to life as fighters, coaches and more show appreciation to the people they think especially deserve a shoutout for what they did in 2023:

Anthony Pettis on Francis Ngannou
Ben Rothwell on Mike Perry
Beneil Dariush on Merab Dvalishvili
Cain Velasquez on Islam Makhachev
Manel Kape on Patchy Mix
And many more

Enjoy!

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.