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Dana White Makes Bold Claim About Future of Power Slap: 'Bigger Than UFC'

UFC CEO Dana White is all-in on his latest combat creation.

Zain Bando

July 18, 2024; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship introduces Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. The final day of the RNC featured a keynote address by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
July 18, 2024; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship introduces Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. The final day of the RNC featured a keynote address by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. / Jasper Colt-USA TODAY

UFC CEO Dana White continues to sing the praises of 'Power Slap.'

White's latest combat vehicle has drawn considerable attention over the past year, both good and bad. From the dangerous and violent nature it can bring, similar to MMA, it also has its believers. This includes ex-UFC fighter Paige VanZant and FOX News commentator Sean Hannity, who asked White about the ceiling and floor of the sport's potential in a conversation posted over the weekend.

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White pointed to social media figures to demonstrate the sport's rising popularity and said it has the potential to be "bigger than the UFC" at the rate it's currently headed. The promotion has put on a handful of events since the spring of 2023, including its most recent one in June.

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"I mean, we’ve only been doing this 18 months… In 18 months, we have 17 million followers. We have 8 billion views on social in 18 months. We have more Instagram followers than every Major League Baseball team, every NHL team and 30 of 32 NFL teams," White told Fox News Friday.

White has gone back into the reality TV business as well, launching "Power Slap: Road To The Title," a mirror image spinoff of "The Ultimate Fighter," where contestants live in a house and compete for a contract and participation in future events.

White has said previously that he hopes Power Slap can take on a global appeal, citing potential future seasons in Abu Dhabi and other international markets over the next several years.

For now, the sport's home-base remains in Las Vegas, Nev., and the jury is still out on whether the sport can survive in the long-term or not.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99