Congressmen demand answers following debut of Dana White’s new slap league

UFC President Dana White attends the ceremonial weigh-in for the UFC on ABC 3 mixed martial arts event on July 15, 2022, in Elmont, NY. The Nevada Athletic Commission will consider a proposal to make rule changes for slap fighting contests. The UFC-backed Power Slap competition is scheduled to make its debut next month. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan, File)

Two congressmen are expressing concern about Dana White’s Power Slap League.

Congressmen Bill Pascrell, Jr. and Don Bacon wrote a letter to Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TBS, which airs the contests.

In the letter, the congressmen claim the programming “glorifies dangerous and aggressive behavior at the expense of its participants’ long-term health.”

The league features contestants slapping each other across the face as hard as they can. They win a match by knocking out their opponent or inflicting more
damage.

The congressmen expressed concern that the contestants could be putting themselves at risk of traumatic brain injuries by participating in “slap fighting.”

“This deadly combination of force, rotation and lack of defensive gear or posture is inexcusable and possibly fatal,” the letter states.

Pascrell and Bacon, a Democrat and a Republican, have asked Warner Bros. Discovery to answer a series of questions about whether there is a disclaimer before the show and the long-term health care plan for the contestants.

Warner Bros. has not publicly commented on the letter.

The Nevada Athletic Commission is reportedly considering a proposal to make rule changes for slap-fighting contests following concerns about their safety.

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