After reviewing the Kikskin grappling spats, I figure I should review the no-gi shorts I wear over them to keep from looking like a creeper in a nuthugging leotard.

Nick, the head guy at Rupture Clothing, sent me a pair of their Signature blue/white MMA fight shorts to try out and review. Here’s that review.

First up is durability, the most important point to consider in any gear review. I have been wearing my shorts 2-3 times per week for the past 1½-2 years and machine washing and drying them between classes. And despite that constant abuse, they still look almost brand new. So big points here.

The shorts are thicker and softer than the Sprawls I have worn, making them feel more natural and comfortable. Everything is heavy-duty triple stitched and reinforced. They have a little pocket for a mouthguard and the split-seams so your legs can move freely for Muay Thai and flexible guard work, so they hit all the bells and whistles you get with the bigger MMA short brands.

Aesthetically, the design is a little plain but talking with the guy who created them, he admits that he purposefully steered away from the SO YOU WANNA BE A FIGHTA!!! style you get with brands like Tapout (spoiler: no camo and barbed wire) so you would be less embarrassed if you had to wear them outside the gym.

So far the only wear on the shorts is cosmetic and minor compared to the gaping holes I’ve had ripped in other shorts. For example, I washed them without closing the velcro fly and found out the rough side of velcro sticks to the stretch fabric inseam and it roughed up the elastic material when I yanked it off. But aside from that, all of the seams are still 100% intact and nothing is tearing or fraying.

What I really respect about Nick and Rupture are the lengths they have gone to keep their gear American-made and not use cheap, foreign labor. It is easy to get your logo slapped on generic gear coming out of Pakistan or China (I get spam about it all the time) so it’s impressive that Rupture has managed to keep their fight short price down at a fair $30 without resorting to sweatshops. Talking with Nick, he’s told me about all the trouble he goes through to find American suppliers and manufacturers for all their t-shirts, fight shorts and rashguards (the best I’ve even worn by the way, and that’s before their newest version, but that’s another review.) You’ve got to respect a company that puts principles above profit, especially these days.

Overall, Rupture’s fight shorts are top of the line and the best price-to-quality you can buy. I’ve been recommending them to people at my gym for a while now and I’m sure anyone reading this would be happy with them too. Support a good company and buy a pair.

Pros

  • Awesome fight shorts that aren’t made in sweatshops.
  • They’re half the price of Sprawls.
  • You don’t look like a Tapout douche bag.

Cons

  • Nothing really… I guess I wish they came in more colors and patterns.

TL;DR: Great fight shorts, get a pair, they are cheap and the company is cool.