UFC President Dana White is introducing a new sport to Americans — competitive slap fighting. Power Slap will air in eight one-hour episodes on TBS in early 2023, the UFC announced Friday.
“I saw some footage of slap fighting on social media, and I was instantly hooked … I knew what needed to be done to make it a real sport just like we did with MMA. We got it sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) with defined rules, rankings and weight classes,” Mr. White said in a UFC release.
The contestants will compete for spots in the cast house, as well as for spots rising and falling in the inaugural Power Slap rankings. Those delivering a slap will be called strikers, while those receiving a slap will be called defenders.
Right of first strike will be determined by coin flip or seeding. Strikers have 30 seconds to slap their opponent, and defenders have 30 seconds to recover; each round gives both competitors a single chance to deliver and receive a slap, according to the Power Slap rules page.
Fighters must declare which hand they will use to slap, as well as whether they will use one, two, or three wind-ups before they strike.
Each competitor takes turns delivering and receiving until there is a knockout, technical knockout, or a win on points after the final round. The amount of rounds depends on the format, with each match having a minimum of three rounds.
A round winner receives 10 points, with the other fighter taking nine or fewer points. Judges will weigh the efficacy of the striker’s slap and the defender’s reaction and recovery time in awarding points.
There will be, as in UFC, men’s and women’s divisions, with the same weight classes as used in UFC: strawweight, flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight.
Striker fouls include stepping in the process of slapping, illegally winding up a slap, using the hand as a club, and delay of game. Defender fouls include flinching, blocking, and delay of game. Fouls can result in loss of points, loss of strike, re-strike, and disqualification.
Addressing skepticism and health concerns at a Friday press conference, Mr. White urged that “These guys who have been doing it for a long time, there actually is technique to it. You can actually roll with the slap. They know how to actually defend, brace, whatever you want to call it.”
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