Medical Experts Raise Red Flags Over Dana White's Power Slap

A recent study shows 78.6% of Power Slap participants showed signs of concussion.

Power Slap

Dana White's Power Slap has quickly become one of the most contentious UFC-related products in recent memory.

Getty Images

Debuting in January 2023, the slap-fighting tournament has been dubbed human cockfighting, and now medical experts are expressing their concern with the sport.

The Study

University of Pittsburgh Neurosurgeon Dr. Nitin Agarwal and postdoctoral research fellow Dr. Raj Swaroop Lavadi recently published a study in JAMA Surgery, documenting concussion signs in Power Slap participants. 78 Power Slap fights were analyzed from season one, comprising 333 slaps in 139 sequences among 56 participants.

Four reviewers took part in the process, and agreement between reviewers was needed to account for visible signs of concussion. This is referred to as 'interrater reliability' in the study, which is "the degree of agreement between different people observing or assessing the same thing" (Scribblr).

The study found that 44 (78.6%) Power Slap fighters showed at least one sign of concussion. 20 of the 56 fighters showed signs of second impact (second trauma before recovering from the first). Fighters who showed a visible sign lost 54 of 72 times. View the signs by slap count below:

Concussion Signs / Slap Count / Reliability

"The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that slap fighting may induce traumatic brain injury in contestants, with potential for long-term consequences.

The risk is further augmented given that the contestants must stand defenseless, allowing their opponents to achieve complete and precise contact with their heads during each offensive blow."

Issues With the Methodology

The study acknowledges a few core issues with the findings. First, the small sample size, and second, the fact that it's a video analysis could be considered a subjective assessment. A larger study, preferably with on-site analysis or medical records, would better support the findings.

Concerns Raised About Slap-Fighting in Younger Generations

Slap-fighting isn't an 'adults-only' activity, according to Dr. Lavadi, who points to the popular kids' game Roblox facilitating a slap-fighting game mode with 5 million members, as well as children participating in slap-fighting in schools as a 'game'.

Prevention of neurological damage should always be top priority, and awareness needs to be brought to the issue. MMA KO touch on whether slap fighters are making informed decisions in 'Dana White Responds to Critics of Brain-Damaging Power Slap.'

Read More MMA News

• Alex Pereira Dismantles Khalil Rountree in Epic UFC 307 Showdown
  
  
• Julianna Peña Narrowly Reclaims Title in UFC 307 Co-Main Event
  
  
• 'Bulls***,' Conor McGregor's Angry Reaction to José Aldo's UFC 307 Loss
  
  
• Mario Bautista Bests José Aldo in Gritty Fight at UFC 307
  
  

Stick with MMAKnockout for more FREE coverage of the UFC, MMA, Boxing, WWE, and AEW. Follow MMAKnockout on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.