Issue 138

February 2016

Devastating Dutchman Melvin Manhoef reveals he’s not picky when it comes to his equipment

A. Back in two shakes

Like his training gear, Manhoef uses a variety of products to give his body everything it needs. “Yeah, I use some nutrition. I have one sponsor who gives me all brands. He has all kinds of supplements.”

bodybuilding.com

B. Heavy leather

“I don’t have a favorite brand, but I use RDX and Winning gloves. Because I have short arms, sometimes I use only 14oz for bags and mitts. But when I spar I need to use 16oz.”

rdxsports.com

C. Alive and kicking 

You only need to look at the beatings Manhoef has given opponents’ legs to understand the impact the Dutchman’s shins absorb. “Of course, in sparring we use the shin pads,” he says. “Right now I have some from Venum.”

venum.com

D. Knockout shorts

“Nowadays I like the long MMA shorts. But I use everything, I’m not really busy with one kind of brand. I use what feels good. For my last fight I wore Hayabusa shorts and they worked fine.”

hayabusafight.com

E. Protect the bite

As a fighter who loves to stand and trade, Manhoef needs some protection for his mouth when he faces opponents who fight fire with fire. “I prefer custom-fit,” he says. “I had a special one made by Jawzz.”

jawzz.com

F. Protect and serve

When you throw all kinds of strikes, you need all kinds of pads. “We use both boxing and Muay Thai pads. You need to have both if you are a fighter. We are using Bad Boy pads in the gym right now.”

badboy.com