Venum is a brand that’s been present in jiu-jitsu for decades yet their transition into MMA isn’t seamless, pun intended.
Venum Gear has been in the spotlight recently for all the wrong reasons. Several UFC stars have raised concerns about their gear malfunctioning during bouts, causing distractions and affecting their performance.
Jessica Andrade was one of the first to speak out about the issue. She raised concerns about her top during her bout against Erin Blanchfield, stating that a malfunction directly led to her getting submitted by Blanchfield.
Montana De La Rosa also faced a similar issue when she went up against Tatiana Suarez. UFC’s Andrea Lee made a public plea for Venum to fix the problem.
However, the issue seems to have escalated at UFC 285 when Jalin Turner became the latest victim of the Venum gear malfunction. Turner had trouble with his shorts slipping down during a grappling exchange with Mateusz Gamrot, causing a distraction for both.
There's incompetence and then there's making these shorts… pic.twitter.com/7heZGycm01
— calfkicker (@calfkickercom) March 6, 2023
The incident was immediately noticed by fans, who took to social media to express their concerns. One Twitter user pointed out that Joe Rogan had talked for over 20 seconds about the issue during the event, while another asked why Turner wasn’t given shorts that fit properly.
These incidents have put Venum Gear under fire and raised questions about the quality of their products. With UFC stars relying heavily on their equipment, any malfunction could have serious consequences, both in terms of performance and safety.
Venum has yet to release an official statement addressing the issue. However, it is clear that they need to take action and address the problem to avoid further negative attention.
Arguably the biggest star on the card, Jon Jones, folded his shorts several times to avoid sagging – prior to entering UFC 285 cage.
Jon Jones seemed to be aware of the issue beforehand, having spotted it repeatedly hinder Tai Tuivasa against Gane.
The recent incidents involving Venum Gear have highlighted the importance of quality and reliability in MMA equipment. UFC talent isn’t getting properly compensated to wear the sponsored gear but at the very least they could be getting a properly fitting gear that wouldn’t hinder them from delivering a peak performance.