Concussion expert Chris Nowinski has criticised the UFC’s new Power Slap league. In what has been called the “biggest slap competition of all time,” 30 athletes competed on Dana White’s new show which premiered today (January 19).
Chris Nowinski is a former WWE superstar who is now a neurologist and concussion expert. He has long been a supporter of increased awareness of head injuries and their long-term effects. Nowinski claims that the new sport of slap fighting takes advantage of athletes.
Nowinski co-founded the Concussion Legacy Foundation after sustaining concussions during his work in the WWE. He has also done considerable studies on injuries associated with American football.
In a recent viral video from the RFX Slap Championships in Romania, a competitor is seen taking a slap despite already having a badly swollen face.
Nowinski shared the video and wrote: “I believe adults can choose to do dangerous jobs if they understand the risks & reasonable efforts are made to protect them. But head hits with no defence is just sad. It reminds us that people who don’t take the risks often exploit those who do.”
The video showed Power Slap competitor Comsa Sorin holding his position for so long that his face became disfigured at the conclusion of the competition. Sorin finally won the belt after making it all the way to the final. However, he had to suffer through a half-hour of torment in which his face was repeatedly hit. It was clear that Sorin was in excruciating agony.
This video went viral just before the UFC’s own league debuted. The MMA organization announced its debut in October. This show is similar to how The Ultimate Fighter works. The contenders share a home, and the winner is chosen based on Power Slap rankings.
The UFC has been under heavy fire for trying to enter the slapfighting market.
MMA vet Josh Barnett reportedly stated: “This type of event (I won’t doing to call it a sport) is the dumbest thing there is going. X-Arm seems like the Olympics in comparison. Why do people support this s**t?”
Podcast broadcaster Tony Marinaro demanded the sport be banned. He stated: “Enough already. This has to stop. Ban slap fighting.”