UFC boss Dana White is hitting back at neuroscientists who say his new Power Slap sport is causing brain damage
He manages the world’s largest MMA fighting championship and is known for instigating fights with reporters and his own athletes.
But UFC boss Dana White traded barbs this month with his most unlikely opponent yet: neuroscientists.
The feud revolves around his new promotion Power Slap, a competition in which two competitors hit each other in the face as hard as possible.
White was asked about a study from the University of Pittsburg that found that three-quarters of Power Slap participants showed signs of a concussion.
When asked about the analysis, White said sarcastically, “Sounds legit.”
He added: ‘They watched one episode of the show, don’t know anything about medical stuff or what we do or the research we’ve done – it sounds like these typical doctors looking for attention to me.’
Male and female competitors from around the world travel to Nevada where the Open Handed Power Slap Competition takes place
White did not specify what “drugs” or studies the Power Slap organization has conducted.
Dr. Raj Lavadi, one of the researchers on the analysis, responded to X and invited Mr. White to discuss the results.
He tweeted: “We appreciate that our research was submitted to @danawhite for his thoughts, but our conclusions were drawn after reviewing ‘season 1 and main events 2 through 5’, not just the ‘first episode’. We would be happy to discuss this further.’
White is no stranger to backlash and has had to explain away several controversies over the years, including over his relationship with former President Donald Trump and a physical altercation he got into with his wife.
And earlier this year, he came under fire for defending a UFC fighter’s “free speech” by making anti-LGBTQ+ comments.
White has also been criticized for the way he pays his UFC fighters. The UFC director told GQ that he believes boxers are overpaid and that UFC fighters are paid fairly, but some fighters say otherwise and have filed suit against White and the UFC.
He said: ‘Boxing has been absolutely destroyed because of money and all the things going on. It’ll never happen while I’m here. Trust me, these guys get paid what they should get paid.
‘They eat what they kill. They get a percentage of the pay-per-view purchases. And the money is distributed among all fighters.’
White first announced Power Slap in late 2022, saying at a press conference that he had been watching slapping videos on social media and thought it would make great TV.
Male and female competitors from around the world travel to Nevada, where the state Athletic Commission regulates the competition, and are split into weight groups.
Competitors face each other and end with an open-handed slap on their opponent’s cheek.
There are three rounds, each yielding a score from the judges, and the slapper with the highest score is declared the winner.
In a promo video for the match, White called Power Slapping “the ultimate measure of toughness.”
UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell shared this ESPN in October 2022: ‘After testing, it became clear to us that there is enormous potential here as a sport, comparable to the early years of the UFC.
“It made all the sense in the world to move to regulation before the sport starts, for all the obvious reasons: No. 1: the health and safety of the participants.”
Dana White said the analysis’s researchers were ‘typical doctors looking for attention’
Power Slap is an open-handed slapping event where opponents punch each other in the face as hard as possible
And White said competition organizers and athletes were taking safety concerns seriously.
Despite this, doctors expressed concerns before the matches even started.
Neurologist Dr. Nitin Agarwal, one of the researchers on the recent analysis, told The Washington Post in 2022: “When it comes to the physical aspect of martial arts, safety and defense are of primary importance. For this reason, punch boxing is an offensive sport. There is no defense.
“You can’t use your shoulder to protect you, you can’t use your hands to protect you, you can’t even turn your head to soften the blow or determine where the blow will be placed. So that is very worrying.’
In their initial analysis, University of Pittsburg neurologists reviewed video footage of 139 matches, which consisted of multiple rounds of blows against the same opponent. These include 56 participants and 333 individual hits.
Of the participants, 44 – or 79 percent – showed at least one sign of a concussion.
A concussion is a form of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that occurs when the brain moves or rotates rapidly within the skull.
The injury can be caused by a blow to the head, or by a blow to the body that causes the head to move back and forth.
Symptoms include ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, fatigue, headache, confusion, memory loss, dizziness and loss of consciousness.
In 72 matches (52 percent) and in 97 individual blows (29 percent), participants showed at least one sign of concussion, including unsteadiness, vacant or blank stares, and loss of consciousness.
The most common symptoms observed in slappers were difficulty standing, clumsiness or wobbly legs – observed in 68 slaps and 54 matches.
This was followed by blank or vacant stares, observed in 48 and 45 claps and matches, respectively; delays in returning to a standing position (34 and 33, respectively); and loss of reaction time and/or consciousness (15 in both cases).
In Power Slap, participants must stand in a box with their hands behind their back while their opponent punches them in the face
In some cases, participants fall to the ground during competitions and lose consciousness
In eleven blows and series, those affected showed signs of an attack, including stiffness or tension in the limbs.
The researchers concluded “that slap fights can cause traumatic brain injury in participants, with possible long-term consequences.”
They continued: ‘The risk is further increased given that the participants must stand defenseless, allowing their opponents to make full and accurate contact with their heads during each attacking blow.’
A concussion can affect brain function, including concentration, balance, mood and sleep.
People may experience a delay in motor or cognitive function, slurred speech and a dazed appearance, the Mayo Clinic reports.
Days later, a person with a concussion may experience memory problems, personality changes and increased irritability, changes in taste and smell, sleep problems and sensitivity to light and sound.
When people exhibit these symptoms, they should seek immediate medical attention by visiting their doctor or hospital.
And repeated concussions can cause brain swelling, bleeding and even death.
The researchers added: ‘Fighting may be a more serious combat sport than previously thought, and strategies to prevent neurological mortality among participants should be pursued.’