Eddie Hearn issues critical response to Dana White's slap fighting league

03 February 2023 , 15:54

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Eddie Hearn issues critical response to Dana White's slap fighting league

Eddie Hearn has slammed Dana White's Power Slap league, adding his name to the list of major combat sport figures to disavow the new sport.

The Matchroom Boxing boss has had glowing things to say about UFC president White in the past, and the feeling has appeared to be mutual between the pair. They sat together at ringside during last year's first UFC London event, and have shared many positive messages to one another during public appearances.

But Hearn has taken a stand against Power Slap, which is the new league White has started after hearing of the success of slap-fighting on social media. The UFC boss pushed for the sport to be regulated in Nevada, and is now working on a pay-per-view final event for his show about the sport, which recorded record low ratings on American TV this week.

"I'm a big fan of the UFC," Hearn told reporters at a media day yesterday. "I'm a big fan of the UFC business, I'm a big fan of what Dana White has done in the mixed martial arts business, but I do not like the slap league. I'm not going to lie to you. I cannot believe what I'm watching, I can't believe it's allowed.

"I can't believe that we want our kids to see people striking people without being defended. Boxing is different, it teaches you as a kid to protect yourself, to have respect, we want to promote safety in the sport. This is really sort of unadulterated violence. I know that people want to watch stuff like that and broadcasters want to hit numbers but for me someone should step in.

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"They should say 'look at the footage here, this is not good for anyone'. So as much as I respect those guys [White and the UFC], I have to be honest and say 'not for me'. It's a strange one, but Dana's a revolutionary so who knows."

White's league features fighters slapping each other seemingly without a defence, and has seen a number of vicious knockouts and facial injuries already in just three half-hour episodes. However, that hasn't deterred the UFC boss who has vehemently defended the league since its inception.

“I saw a lot of the goofballs talking s***, goofballs being media guys, talking about, ‘What’s next, mallets?’. Stupid s*** like that,” White said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “The bottom line is, in a boxing match, guys get hit with 300 to 400 punches in a f****** fight. For these morons to be talking all the s*** that they are about the athletic commission, the athletic commission did the right thing. So did we. We run right toward regulation, regulate the sport to make sure it’s safe for everybody."

Donagh Corby