Floyd Mayweather Jr and Conor McGregor will fight with smaller gloves, though not nearly as small as the ones McGregor is used to wearing.

Nevada boxing regulators on Wednesday gave the two fighters an exemption to a rule requiring 10-ounce gloves, approving eight-ounce gloves for the bout, which takes places on 26 August. Representatives of both fighters appeared before the Nevada Athletic Commission to request the waiver.

Commissioners also approved veteran referee Robert Byrd as the third man in the ring for the fight.

Under Nevada regulations, 10-ounce gloves are required in fights above 147 pounds and the bout is set for 154 pounds. But Mayweather has worn eight-ounce gloves most of his career, and McGregor has worn four-ounce gloves in his UFC fights.

McGregor told ESPN that he believes fighting with lighter gloves will give him an advantage. “If we are in eight-ounce gloves, [Mayweather] will be floored multiple times in the first round,” McGregor said last week. “I believe first-round KO in eight-ounce gloves. The fact I can’t follow through in MMA and pound the head into the canvas and there’s a 10-count in boxing, maybe I’ll give him second round. But eight-ounce gloves, he will be done in two.”

Earlier this week, the chairman of the Association of Ringside Physicians wrote to the Nevada Athletic Commission asking that it not allow lighter gloves for the bout.

“This is a bout that has already been set [at] a specified weight class,” Dr Raymond M Monsell wrote on Tueday. “Unless there is scientific evidence to support the view that such a change might improve the safety of this bout, we would strongly caution against allowing current regulations to be overruled. To do so would also set a precedent for future bouts.”

Commission Chairman Anthony Marnell led the way in approving the smaller gloves, but not before chastising the two camps for using the issue as a pawn in social media to try and sell tickets for the event.