Smackdown: UFC's Dana White bets big on Power Slap

A few years ago, the only slap fight Americans could refer to was Will Smith’s notorious moment at the Oscars — a surreal episode that turned a once-prestigious awards ceremony into a meme machine.

Today, however, slap fighting has evolved into a mainstream spectacle. In fact, it’s now a recognized competitive sport.

In an age characterized by short attention spans and a voracious appetite for the bizarre, Power Slap stands at the intersection of 'Idiocracy' and 'Jackass.'

This brings us to Dana White and his prediction that Power Slap, his latest venture, will eclipse the UFC in popularity. While slap fighting might sound novel in a flashy American format, the reality is that it has strong Soviet roots. Shudder at the thought, I know.

From Russia with slaps

The origins of slap fighting can be traced back to Russia, where it's been embraced as a legitimate form of entertainment, existing alongside bodybuilding, powerlifting, and even dumpling-eating contests. The Russians really are a rare bunch.

Events like the Siberian Power Show, for instance, feature slap contests among their rather eclectic offerings. This reflects the Russian knack for absurdity, often expressed through "gulag humor," showcasing a culture that finds levity amid suffering, chaos, and the reddening of faces.

The appeal of slap fighting, if we can call it that, lies in its stark simplicity: two people, stripped down to just their hands, engaging in a battle that feels instinctual. There’s something inherently primal about slapping someone across the face — an expression of aggression that resonates on a fundamental level, breaking through cultural and linguistic barriers. It's a raw and unfiltered form of human expression, animalistic in the extreme. We've all, at one point in our lives, wanted to slap another person in the face. This fact is not lost on Dana White, the P.T. Barnum of modern America.

Method to the madness

In Power Slap, competitors take turns delivering open-handed slaps, with the order determined by a coin toss or seeding method that specifies who strikes or defends first. Each round provides only 30 seconds for the striker to make a hit, followed by a similar period for the defender to recover. Victory can be achieved through a knockout, technical knockout, or points, following a "10-point must system" similar to boxing. But this is where the similarities with boxing end. More on that shortly.

The mechanics of a proper slap may seem deceptively simple, but the execution is crucial. A well-timed slap connects with the heel of the palm, delivering raw concussive force rather than just a sting. Unlike punches, which involve the entire fist and can result in injuries for the striker, slaps minimize the risk of broken knuckles while maximizing the potential for a concussive impact.

The speed at which a competitor can turn his head significantly affects the likelihood of a concussion, making the slap — a rapid, head-spinning maneuver — an unexpectedly effective weapon in this bizarre athletic contest. Rather obviously, the risks are far from trivial. The threat of brain damage looms over every contest. The implications of repeated blunt force trauma to the brain are serious and cannot be overlooked. Each slap carries the potential for long-term neurological consequences.

From Ali to Idiocracy

If we’re feeling generous, we might say that Power Slap is simply Dana White delivering more of what the audience craves. But a less generous observer — like myself — could argue that the rise of Power Slap reflects a deeper cultural devolution, where the once-respected arts of boxing and martial arts have transformed into spectacles prioritizing entertainment over athleticism, silliness over actual skill. In an age characterized by short attention spans and a voracious appetite for the bizarre, Power Slap stands at the intersection of “Idiocracy” and “Jackass.” The cultural zeitgeist doesn’t just embrace a warped sense of humor and spectacle; it demands it.

We've gone from the glory days of Ali and prime Mike Tyson ... to this? It’s a clear reflection of broader decay — from Johnny Carson to Jimmy Kimmel, from Tina Turner to Taylor Swift, and from the brilliance of “Saturday Night Live” in the 1970s and 1980s to what it has become today. Just look at our trajectory, folks: from JFK to Joe Biden.

Power Slap's popularity, I suggest, can be attributed to its perfect fit for our fast-paced, distraction-driven culture, where content is consumed in bite-sized clips that can go viral in seconds. In an age characterized by "too long, didn't read" mentalities, the prospect of watching grown men and women — yes, women are invited to the slapfest — get knocked out with an open hand is hard to resist. The immediate thrill of a slap, captured in a quick video, offers instant gratification that reading a book simply can’t.

It's a perfect fit for TikTok and Instagram. In truth, Dana White's latest offering is a perfect fit for a society increasingly drawn to sensationalism over substance.