5 Dana White’s Power Slap questions answered

Dana White’s Power Slap questions were answered.

Las Vegas, NV — On Wednesday, ahead of UFC 282 media day, the UFC held a Power Slap media day with athletes and coaches ahead of the release of the first show and event. FanSided was on-site and spoke with several competitors and even the Power Slap president.

Here’s what we learned about the organization that you need to know before watching the show.

5. How is Power Slap going to work?

Dana White’s Power Slap will work somewhat like The Ultimate Fighter, at least at first. The athletes will compete in an eight-episode unscripted series, “Power Slap: Road to the Title” (which I’m told is a working title and could change) which will air on TBS starting on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, at 10 pm ET. This show is meant to work as an introduction to the sport, the athletes, the coaches, etc. Each of the men (there are no women competitors in the house) will compete for their spot in the house and then the eventual title. These matches are being filmed now with the results embargoes until airtime. After that, the show will then switch to live events starting in February or March (Power Slap 1) and fans will be able to attend. There will also be weekly rankings for Power Slap athletes.

4. How do you train to be a Power Slap athlete?

We spoke to several of the competitors about what sort of training goes into being a Power Slap athlete and the responses varied. Ayjay Hintz says he does no special training whatsoever but boasts having the strongest neck in the house (which he says was determined by a test done at the UFC Performance Institute). But another competitor detailed a more precise training regime.

“There’s a bunch of different, what we call hand conditioning techniques,” Jewel Scott, a slap-fighting athlete explained. “There’s sand, there’s beans, there’s slapping things like tires and walls, padded walls, things like that to kinda toughen up your hands.”

3. Who will be competing at Power Slap?

Some of the names already announced for Power Slap include:

• Ayjay Hintz
• Carrese Archer
• Duane Crespo
• Emanuel Muniz
• Jewel Scott
• John Davis
• Ryan Phillips
• Vern Cathey

Along with coaches:

• Damien “The Bell” Dibbell
• Darius “The Destroyer” Mata-Varona
• Ron “Wolverine” Bata
• Sheena “The Hungarian Hurricane” Bathory

2. What are the rules of Power Slap?

When we spoke to the Power Slap President he showed us the precise stance fighters must take, and not move from during competition. The athletes will each have three tries and the judges will decide a winner if no one is knocked out.

Scott explained, “You have to keep your feet grounded, there’s not a limit to how far you can reach back, you can reach back as far as you want. You can slap him as hard as you want, of course, you can’t have a closed fist.”

Some interesting things learned:

• The chalk is used to help determine where the slap lands, in case of a foul.
• You cannot strike anywhere but the cheek, that’s called clubbing.
• There are referees and MMA fans will recognize them.

1. What are the safety precautions being taken to ensure the safety of the Power Slap athletes?

We are told that the athletes are being monitored and have brain testing, similar to that of MMA fighters in the UFC. The athletes are also drug tested and overseen by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.