Dana White Has Power Slap League Licensed by Nevada State Athletic Commission
At a press conference on Friday, the longstanding UFC president revealed a brand-new striking competition dubbed Power Slap. Men and women contestants from around the world will face off in the new endeavor to display "power, technique, and resolve." Two competitors square off and engage in a series of open-handed strikes to the face before one of them prevails in the bout.
Many individuals objected right away since the idea of unconsciously hitting each other seemed harsh. To explain his new venture and reassure the fans that the sport will be controlled, and safety steps will be taken, White held a press conference during UFC 281 fight week in NYC.
“I’m really into this,” White said. “I like it. The other thing is this stuff is going on. I know when we announced this, there were a lot of concerns about health and safety with some guys. Us getting involved guarantees that it’s going to be much safer.”
Power Slap will begin airing on TBS in January thanks to an eight-episode agreement, White disclosed at a press conference in New York. Although the UFC president will not oversee day-to-day operations, he did confirm that fighters will be subject to drug and medical testing that is identical to that of the UFC.
Additionally, a reference guide of the league regulations was sent to media representatives before the press conference, which you may view here.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has approved the series, making it the first slap league to do so, and it now has set regulations, weight divisions, standings, and "extensive medical testing."
“I’ve been working on this since 2017. I saw some footage of slap fighting on social media and I was instantly hooked. From the first day I saw it, I felt like this could be big. I knew what needed to be done to make it a real sport just like we did with MMA,” said White.
The Power Slap League's formal regulations were made public by Dana White. A coin flip will decide whether the winner wants to throw or receive the first slap, according to the Power Slap website. The slap delivery and healing times are both limited to 30 seconds each. There will be a minimum of three rounds in each tournament.
The winner will be decided by knockout, technical knockout, or points, which, similar to MMA and boxing, will be based on a 10-point minimum requirement. Judges will award points based on the striker's efficiency, the defender's response, and their recovery time. Matches may also be declared a no-contest, subject to disqualification, or, if judged appropriate, submitted to the judges for a technical ruling.
Clubbing, stepping, illegal wind-up, and delay of play are all strikes that result in fouls. Additionally revealed were the requirements for fighters to proclaim their choice of hand and the duration of the slap. A striker will receive a penalty if they deviate from the announcement. Defenders will receive fouls for flinching, blocking, or adding time to the game. Warnings, point deductions, re-strikes, loss of strikes, or disqualification are some of the consequences of fouling.
With UFC sitting top in the ranking of top promotions of MMA, The Power Slap League won’t take much time to gain popularity. Dana White has made UFC the best promotion from scratch which leaves no doubt that Power Slap League would fail to provide entertainment.