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SPORTS Thursday 9 March 2023
Slap fighting: The next big thing, or unsporting stupidity?

By MARK ANDERSON noted.
AP Sports Writer Nowinski of the concussion
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The foundation said while there
competitors stand rigidly may be no sparring in prac-
upright with their hands be- tice sessions, that doesn’t
hind their backs, waiting to mean it doesn’t happen
absorb a brutal slap to the elsewhere. He said com-
face. paring boxing to power
When the open-handed slapping is misleading be-
blow is delivered, there’s cause slap fighters take a
a sharp report and the re- full blow each time.
action can be dramatic. “You can slip (boxing)
Some fighters barely move, punches,” Nowinski said.
while others stumble back- But in slap fighting “you’re
ward or fall to the floor. taking out everything that’s
Some are knocked out. interesting to watch and
UFC President Dana White everything sporting (from
is selling slap fighting as the boxing) and just doing the
next big thing in combat brain damage part.”
sports, putting his money Nowinski said slap fighters
and the resources of one don’t make enough money
of the world’s foremost to justify the risk. The Power
mixed martial arts organi- In this photo provided by Zuffa LLC, Ryan Phillips slaps Rob Perez at a Power Slap event in Las Slap League wouldn’t dis-
zations behind the Power Vegas, March 31, 2022. close how much it pays
Slap League. The Nevada Associated Press fighters, but said in a state-
Athletic Commission has ago. White said he realized there telecast on the streaming ment that participants are
sanctioned the league for “I think it’s definitely over- could be a market for the platform Rumble in which compensated for every
competitions in Las Vegas. blown with the topics of sport in the U.S. when he champions will be crowned match and can also earn
“It’s a home run,” said CTE and the damage clocked the millions of You- in four weight classes. “appearance fees” and
White, who is among sev- that we’re taking,” said Tube views of slap fighting Power Slap fights are typi- “additional discretionary
eral UFC officials involved Ryan Phillips, a Power Slap videos from eastern Europe cally three to five rounds. bonuses.”
in the league. League fighter. “I think a in 2017 and 2018. The vid- The fighters take turns hit- Stephen J. Cloobeck, who
Some slap-fighting beat- lot of people still just don’t eos were often poorly pro- ting each other in the face was chairman of the state
downs have gone viral, in- understand that it’s still a duced, the slap matches with an open hand, and commission when it sanc-
cluding a video from east- slap.” unregulated. White be- those on the receiving end tioned slap fighting, said
ern Europe showing a man Concerns about concus- came convinced that stand with their hands be- White and former UFC CEO
who continues to compete sions leading to CTE, which fights with written rules and hind their backs. A fighter Lorenzo Fertitta sold him on
even as half of his face can cause violent mood shot with professional video has up to 60 seconds to the legitimacy of the sport.
swells to seemingly twice swings, depression and equipment could convert recover and respond after “I made a mistake,” Cloo-
its size. Such exposure has memory loss, aren’t con- many internet viewers into receiving a blow. Fighters beck said. “I’m not happy
led to questions about the fined to combat sports. dedicated, paying fans. can earn up to 10 points about it.”
safety of slap fighting, par- The disease has shown The Nevada commission based on the effectiveness The commission recently
ticularly the risk of chronic up in the brains of former gave slap fighting some of the slap and the defend- approved amended rules
traumatic encephalopa- rugby players, and the NFL much needed legitimacy er’s reaction. to better define what con-
thy, or CTE, a degenera- and college football have when it unanimously sanc- Fights can end in a deci- stitutes a legal slap in an
tive brain disease believed taken steps to cut down tioned the sport in October sion, knockout, technical effort to minimize serious
to be caused by repeated on blows to the head by and a month later award- knockout or disqualifica- injuries.
blows to the head. A for- changing rules regarding ed White a license to pro- tion, such as for an illegal “The No. 1 thing is the
mer chairman of the com- tackling and other hits. CTE mote it. slap. All slaps are subject to health and safety of the
mission, which regulates can only be detected dur- But White’s enterprise was video review. Each event fighter,” commission Chair-
combat sports in Nevada, ing an autopsy. hampered when he was has two referees and three man Anthony Marnell III
says approving the league Despite the naysayers, captured on video slap- judges. said at a Feb 15 meeting.
was a mistake. White said he believes ping his wife on New Year’s Also present are a supervis- “Always has been, always
Chris Nowinski, cofounder slap fighting will follow a Eve. White apologized, ing doctor and a physician will be.”
and CEO of the Concus- similar trajectory to mixed but has acknowledged it or physician’s assistant, But he went on to say: “It
sion Legacy Foundation, martial arts, which the late damaged efforts to get plus three EMTs and three seems like there is a market
agrees, calling slap fighting Sen. John McCain referred the league off the ground. ambulances. White has for this, whether you like it
“one of the stupidest things to as “human cockfight- White is no newcomer to touted the safety record of or not.”
you can do.” ing” in 1996, when the UFC controversy: Former UFC the UFC, but has not talked Phillips, the slap fighter, said
“There’s nothing fun, there’s didn’t have weight classes fighters Kajan Johnson and specifically about injuries in participants can defend
nothing interesting and or many rules. McCain’s Clarence Dollaway filed a the Power Slap League. themselves without losing
there’s nothing sporting,” criticism helped force the lawsuit in 2021 against En- White says slap fighting is points, such as rolling away
Nowinski said. “They’re try- organization to become deavor, the organization’s safer than boxing or mixed before the hand makes im-
ing to dress up a really stu- more structured, leading parent company, alleging martial arts because each pact.
pid activity to try to make to its widespread accep- that UFC takes an inordi- contestant usually takes And the fighters know if
money.” tance. nate share of the profits. only three blows per bout. they lose the coin toss and
White and the competitors White said the ratings of But White is charging In boxing, White said, that get slapped first, it will hurt.
remain unfazed, compar- the TBS reality show “Pow- ahead. number could be 400 or “I know what’s coming,”
ing commentary on slap- er Slap: Road to the Title” Three qualifying events more, and that doesn’t in- fighter Vernon Cathey said.
ping to the negative reac- bear out the early popular- have taken place at the clude the shots taken dur- “I’m tensing up. There’s a
tion the UFC faced in its ity of what to many is still a UFC Apex in Las Vegas, ing sparring. There is no lot of stuff I can do to pro-
infancy more than 20 years curiosity. ahead of the March 11 sparring in slap fighting, he tect myself.”q