UFC president Dana White was looking down on the danger of slap fighting in an attempt to downplay the dangee. However, this simple combat sport actually had a competitor who died after a fatal slap.
Dana White has been showing an interest in slap fighting and has been working behind the scenes to make his own league, the Dana White’s Power Slap League that will have its debut in late 2022. The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) approved the regulation in the state several days ago.
Unfortunately, White received backlash from people inside the community who don’t see the ‘sport’ in this peculiar form of competiton. Some people believe the sport is too dangerous and shouldn’t be regulated as the competitors will have to stand still while taking a vicious hit, unable to defend themselves.
At UFC 280 media day, White fired back at the media who criticized his slap competition. The 53-year-old believes slapping is not that dangerous, especially when compared to boxing and MMA.
“The bottom line is, in a boxing match, guys get hit with 300-400 punches in a f****** fight. These guys are going to get hit with three slaps. For these morons to be talking all the s*** that they are about the athletic commission, the athletic commission did the right thing. So did we. ”
“We run right toward regulation, regulate the sport to make sure it’s safe for everybody — because a lot of people are going to get involved in this just like they did MMA. What you want is you want to make sure there’s clear cut set rules, people have to take the proper medicals before, during, and after the fight to keep the thing safe. It should be regulated and Nevada did the right thing. I applaud them and that’s why they’re the most respected athletic commission in the world.” White said.
However, the UFC head honcho might be wrong. Just like boxing and MMA, slap fighting had a death victim too. Polish strongman and slap-fighting competitor Artur Walczak died following a brutal knockout in slap fighting.
Walczak was one of the participants at the PunchDown 5 gala. After taking a powerful slap, the 46-year-old fell to the ground unconscious and was sent to the hospital.
Artur spent a month in a hospital after being knocked-out in the finals of Punchdown. People were blaming the organization for his death because they called 911 instead of using the ambulance that was on-place. The EMT arrived 1 hour after the call.
He was put into a medical coma for over a month and later a friend of his confirmed that he has passed away. The doctors tried to wake him up from the coma several times but were unsuccessful.
Wrocław prosecutor’s office announced that it would check whether the organization of such competitions is legal in Poland at all. Nothing came of the criminal charges.
The cause of death was multi-organ failure resulting from irreversible damage to the central nervous system – said Monika Kowalska, spokeswoman for the University Teaching Hospital in Wrocław.