Dana White’s Power Slap League will be launched in January next year. It will be a competitive combat sport that focuses on open-hand striking. The rule is likely to be a turn-based system where two participants would take turns to slap each other.
The “attacker” must first indicate which hand they will use to hit the “defender”. Meanwhile, the defender must stand still while holding a “power slap stick” and is not allowed to block or avoid the attack. The two participants would take turns slapping each other until one of them got knocked out, just like any other slap competition.
The difference is that this competition will be way bigger than any of the predecessors. Power Slap League will also have its own belt for the champions.
The belt is very similar to other combat sports belts but looks a bit futuristic. In the center of the belt is the “slap” logo. There is also a weight class designation on the left side.
Dana White seemed very certain that this promotion will be successful and lucrative. The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) agreed to regulate it in the state back in October. However, the UFC head honcho and NAC have received huge criticism from combat sports fans due to the fact a KO doesn’t stop the contest.
In the words of Joe Rogan:
“I love Dana, and I would be a hypocrite if I said I wouldn’t watch this, because I will watch it – but this is not my cup of tea.”
Couple of years ago Rogan shared the following about having watched slap competition:
“They just stand in front of each other and they let each other slap each other in the face. And for first of all, whoever goes first has such a monster advantage. Because they. They KO each other all the time. “
“These huge guys. And they swing from the hip, and the other guy doesn’t even move and they open palm strike each other in the face.”
“I remember there was this one video of a bunch of people standing around and this guy slapped this guy and KOed him. And all the people that were standing around were like, Why?”
“And they all thought it was cool because, like, that might be the only time where people think it’s cool to be right next to someone who got violent brain trauma.”
“I was trying to find that video because it was such a strange video “
“all the people were standing around and they were laughing and smiling while this guy went unconscious and I was like, That’s so odd. Like, did they not know that this is a really bad.”
“Well, it’s almost like it’s not real because he is – it’s slapping a punch. Like, if he kicked him in the head and the same thing happened, he goes unconscious and falls by people. ‘Oh, my God. Oh, my God.’, They’d be freaked out. But instead they slap each other and everyone’s like, Ha ha. Like, what the f**k?”