Hey everyone, Sam here from your go-to MMA shorts supplier – yeah, that’s me, the guy who’s spent the last five years talking to fighters, coaches, and gym rats about everything fight wear, from what rips mid-spar to what makes a walkout fit hit different. Lately though, I’ve been getting so many questions from new fighters and even some vets like, “Wait, are there actually downsides to MMA shorts?” And for a second, I almost laughed – because when you’re in the thick of rolling, striking, or getting your bell rung, the last thing you’re thinking about is fabric stretch or seam placement. But the truth is, every single piece of fight gear has its kinks, and MMA shorts are no exception. I’ve seen dudes quit mid-match because their shorts slid down, watched a few gyms switch brands because they kept chafing guys raw, and even had a pro fighter pull me aside after a title fight to yell (in the nicest way possible) that our last batch had a seam that dug into his quad. So today, let’s cut the hype – no “MMA shorts fix everything” garbage – and talk about the real, messy, inconvenient downsides, straight from the trenches, plus what I’ve learned as a supplier to fix them. MMA Shorts
First off, let’s get one thing straight: not all MMA shorts are created equal, and that’s half the problem. A lot of cheap, fast-fashion brands crank out “MMA-inspired” shorts that look cool on Instagram but are made for street wear, not 15 minutes of ground-and-pound. But even the good ones, the ones we spend weeks testing with pro fighters, have flaws. Let’s start with the big one everyone complains about: fabric stretch that’s too much or not enough. I remember last year we did a run of shorts with that super-soft, 4-way stretch spandex that everyone raves about for yoga – thought it’d be perfect for grappling, right? Nope. A week after they dropped, I got 12 messages from guys saying the shorts slid down when they shot for a double leg. Why? Because while that stretch is great for bending, it’s so loose that when you’re tensing your core, the waistband just gives. A brown belt from my local gym texted me a clip of himself rolling, and I could see his shorts at his knees halfway through a takedown – he had to stop, hike them up, and lost the momentum to submit his opponent. On the flip side, some shorts are too stiff – like the old-school nylon ones from the early 2000s that barely stretch at all. I had a 170lb fighter tell me he spent a whole fight with his shorts’ fabric pulling so tight across his chest (wait, chest? Yeah, some high-cut shorts ride up that far) that he couldn’t get a full deep breath when he was landing elbows. That’s not a small issue – cardio is everything in MMA, if you can’t breathe, you can’t win. I’ve tested stretch ranges for our current lines, trust me, I’ve worn every batch for 2-hour spar sessions, and too little or too much stretch? It’s a fight killer.
Next up, the chafe. Oh man, the chafe. If you’ve never had your inner thighs raw from MMA shorts, consider yourself lucky – I’ve seen fighters so badly chafed that they had to use medical tape under their shorts mid-match, which is a nightmare. Here’s why that happens: most MMA shorts have those side slits, right? Because you need mobility for kicks and knees. But the slits end at a certain point, usually mid-thigh, and if the seam at the end of the slit is rough, or the fabric is scratchy, when you’re rolling, your thighs rub together nonstop. I had a female bantamweight fighter come to me after a regional fight, crying (not in pain, but in frustration) because she’d spent 3 rounds adjusting her shorts’ slit seams instead of focusing on her opponent. What made it worse? She had to keep pulling the shorts down, which made the chafe worse. And don’t even get me started on synthetic fabrics that trap sweat. I got a review from a guy last month who said his shorts got so stinky mid-grappling session that his gym banned him from wearing them – and no, he wasn’t smelling that bad, the fabric just held sweat like a sponge. We’ve all been there: you finish a hard roll, yank your shorts off, and they feel like they’ve been soaked for hours. That sweat sitting on your skin? It’s a one-way ticket to rashes, and in some cases, yeast infections, especially for fighters who train twice a day. As a supplier, I’ve tested moisture-wicking fabrics, but I’ll be real – even the best ones can only do so much when you’re sweating 2 gallons in 90-degree gyms.
Then there’s the waistband issue. This is the one that’s been a pain point for me since I started – everyone’s body is different. A high-rise waistband that works for a 185lb fighter with a long torso will slide down on a 155lb featherweight who’s used to low-rise shorts. We did a run of our most popular high-cut shorts last year, and I got complaints from three guys saying the waistband dug into their ribs when they were throwing kicks. One of them was a kickboxer who said he couldn’t get his full hip rotation because the fabric was pulling on his sides. On the flip side, a low-rise waistband will slide down when you’re shot for a takedown – I’ve seen guys in amateur fights whose shorts went all the way to their knees, and the ref had to pause the match to fix them. That’s not just embarrassing, it’s a disadvantage: while the ref is adjusting your shorts, your opponent can recover, reset, and take control of the fight. And don’t even get me started on drawstrings. Some shorts have drawstrings that are too long, so they stick out when you’re going for a submission, and your opponent can grab them. I saw a pro fighter lose a fight last year because his opponent pulled his drawstring mid-armbar, and he had to let go. Other drawstrings are too short, so you can’t tighten them enough, or they get tangled in your shorts fabric mid-roll. I’ve been on call at 2 a.m. for that one, when a fighter’s drawstring got stuck during a training session and he had to cut his shorts off with a pair of scissors.
Wait, let’s talk about durability. I know, I know – MMA is brutal, you’re rolling on mats, hitting the cage, scraping on the floor. But a lot of MMA shorts fall apart way too fast. I had a customer send me a pair of our competitor’s shorts last year – same price range as ours, same “pro-level” label – and when I looked at them, the seams at the crotch were already splitting after 6 weeks of training. A lightweight fighter told me he went through 3 pairs of shorts in one month because the side slits ripped when he was throwing head kicks. Why does that matter? If your shorts fall apart mid-fight, you can’t exactly stop the ref to go get a new pair. I’ve seen guys wear split shorts for the last minute of a round, and their opponent would target the hole, grabbing at the fabric to take them down. That’s a game-changer – you shouldn’t have to fight your own gear, right?
And here’s one that nobody talks about: the intimidation factor (or lack thereof) for walkouts. Wait, hold on, hear me out. A lot of fighters wear custom MMA shorts for walkouts – that’s your chance to show your personality, your team, your brand, and intimidate your opponent before the fight even starts. But some MMA shorts are so basic, so plain, that they just don’t stand out. I’ve talked to a few UFC fighters who said their walkout shorts felt like they were just wearing gym shorts, not battle gear. That’s not a disadvantage in the cage, but it is a mental one – how you present yourself matters in fight sports. If your shorts don’t look tough, don’t look like you put work into your gear, that can knock your confidence before you even step through the cage door. I had a guy come to me last year who was fighting at a regional show, and he wanted custom shorts with his gym’s logo, his nickname, and a graphic of a wolf on the side. He said when he wore the plain pair he had from another brand, he felt like “just another fighter,” but when he put on the custom ones, he walked out like he owned the place. That’s a real, measurable mental edge that basic shorts can take away.
But before you go throwing all your MMA shorts in the trash, let’s talk about what I’ve learned as a supplier, because I don’t just sell you shorts – I test them, I fix the kinks, I listen to guys like you. The biggest mistake people make is buying cheap shorts from a random online store that promises “pro quality.” Spend $15 on a pair of “MMA shorts” and you’re gonna get chafe, slide, and seams that rip. But when you invest in a pair that’s tailored to how you fight? The downsides fade. For example, we adjusted our stretch range last year – we tested 8 different stretch levels with pro fighters, found the sweet spot where it’s tight enough to stay up during takedowns but stretchy enough to throw a roundhouse kick without pulling. We changed our seam design: we moved the side slit seams a half-inch lower, added a flatlock stitch that doesn’t dig into thighs, and switched to moisture-wicking fabric that actually doesn’t hold sweat. For waistbands, we added adjustable drawstrings that are short enough not to get grabbed but long enough to tighten, and we offer both high-rise and low-rise options for different body types. We even do custom prints, so you can make your walkout shorts look like you – no more generic, boring pairs that make you feel unconfident.
Let me wrap this up, because I know I’ve rambled a bit (that’s what happens when you’ve been in this game for too long). The bottom line is: MMA shorts aren’t perfect, and there are real disadvantages – bad stretch that slides down, chafe that ruins training, seams that dig in, waistbands that don’t fit right, durability issues, and even the mental hit of boring walkout shorts. But those downsides aren’t inevitable. As a supplier, my job isn’t to sell you a pair of shorts that claim to fix everything – it’s to make a pair that works for you, that stands up to your training, that doesn’t become another thing you have to worry about mid-fight. If you’re tired of fighting your own gear, if you’ve dealt with chafe mid-spar, or shorts that slide down when you shoot for a double, hit me up. We can talk about what you need, we can send you test pairs, we can even do custom designs for your team or for walkouts. Don’t settle for shorts that hold you back – gear that works with you is half the battle.
Oh, and one last thing: I’ve been where you are. I’ve rolled in shorts that fell apart mid-round, I’ve dealt with the worst chafe of my life, I’ve walked out in a pair of plain shorts and felt like I didn’t belong. That’s why I do this – to make gear that actually gets it. So if you wanna chat, no pressure, no sales pitch – just two guys who love MMA and want the best for the sport.
Softball Pants References
- International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2021, Effects of Athletic Wear Fit on Grappling Performance in Mixed Martial Artists
- Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2022, Skin Irritation Related to Synthetic vs. Moisture-Wicking Fabrics in Combative Sports Attire
- MMA Weekly Gear Testing, 2023, Durability Analysis of Commercial MMA Short Brands Under Amateur and Pro Training Conditions
Tonton Sportswear (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
Tonton Sportswear (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. is one of the leading China mma shorts manufacturers and suppliers, with our professional factory, we are able to produce custom and mma shorts at good price. If you are looking for cheap, or you want to wholesale products, please feel free to contact us.
Address: 1-3/F, No.1 Building, Jiewei Industrial Park, No.53, Pingxin North Rd, Pinghu, Longgang District, Shenzhen 518111, China
E-mail: dean@sztonton.com
WebSite: https://www.tontonsportswear.com/
