Dana White's association with slap fighting could have dire consequences for MMA: Former UFC fighter

Power Slap Fighting League (left) and Dana White (right) [Image Courtesy: Getty Images, @ufc and @powerslap on Instagram]
Power Slap Fighting League (left) and Dana White (right) [Image Courtesy: Getty Images, @ufc and @powerslap on Instagram]

A former UFC heavyweight fighter recently claimed that Dana White's association with the Power Slap Fighting League is detrimental to the sport of mixed martial arts. The new Slap Fighting League made its debut on January 18, and the highly controversial sporting tournament has created waves within the MMA community.

In a recent tweet, Brendan Schaub expressed his displeasure at the slap-fighting sport and, while admitting its entertainment value, claimed that the new sport being associated with the UFC is not good for MMA. He posted on Twitter:

"Checking out the Slap fight league. This is the stupidest shit I’ve ever seen. The fact it’s associated with the UFC sets the sport back 10 yrs. All that being said it’s entertaining. Anyone wanna bet it’s not around in a year?"

The Power Slap Fighting League is an unscripted show where athletes will compete in an eight-episode series and will train to slap each other as hard as possible to work their way up to winning the title. The participants will also be divided into four weight classes, namely welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight.

The new show has received harsh criticism from combat sports fans, especially after Dana White went viral for slapping his wife on New Year's Eve. Most combat enthusiasts condemn the sport for its dangerous ruleset and concerns about fighters' health.

Check out the post below:


Dana White explains why TBS postponed the debut of Power Slap League

Dana White was involved in a viral public altercation with his wife on New Year's Eve while they were on vacation in Mexico, and the UFC supremo has admitted that the resulting backlash was the reason for his Power Slap League premiere date being pushed back from January 11 to January 18, 2023.

White made an appearance at the UFC Vegas 67 post-fight press conference and spoke about his new combat sports venture. White said that he was optimistic about the league being well-received by fans and that his involvement would remain as it is. He added:

"We pushed it back a week because I was supposed to come back and do, like, this whole media tour, which obviously wasn't going to happen when I got back."

Dana White also denied that there was any possibility of TBS Network canceling the show entirely after a video of his fracas went viral on social media.

American fans of the show can catch all the episodes on the TBS Network. It will also be accessible to the rest of the world via a UFC Fight Pass subscription or Rumble.

Place your bets for the upcoming UFC fight night main card and earn $$$

Quick Links