UFC 14 was the first UFC event to require fighters to wear padded gloves.
UFC 14: Showdown took place on July 27, 1997, in Birmingham, Alabama. The event marked a significant step in the UFC’s transition from its early no-holds-barred image toward a more standardized sport. Every fighter was required to wear padded gloves weighing between four and six ounces.
Before UFC 14, gloves were optional rather than mandatory. Melton Bowen had become the first UFC fighter to choose UFC gloves at UFC 4, but that voluntary use should not be confused with a promotion-wide requirement. UFC 14 established the rule for all competitors on the card.
The event also used separate heavyweight and middleweight tournaments and featured a heavyweight Superfight between Mark Coleman and Maurice Smith. UFC 15 followed the new glove requirement, which is why it is sometimes mistakenly selected as the first event. UFC 14 is the key date because it introduced mandatory padded gloves, not merely glove availability.