Thanks to UFC president Dana White’s involvement, slap-fighting has begun to be a trend. White’s Power Slap League has given a platform to such competitors while also drawing concerns within the medical community for its questionable safety protocols and potential to cause brain damage.
What had recently come to light is the supposed pay offers to compete under Power Slap League. UFC veteran Eric Spicely recently shed some light on it via Twitter (shared by MMA analyst Luke Thomas), revealing the insultingly meager amount being offered in exchange for the potential risks involved.
UFC veteran Eric Spicely said he was contacted to see if he’d like to participate in the Power Slap League. Not sure what the full pay scale is, but this nugget caught my attention: pic.twitter.com/Qlej95KmJs
— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) January 23, 2023
Spicely later spoke with MMA Fighting, clarifying that he turned down the offer and never received a contract. He also believes that the Power Slap League contracts were mirrored with the Ultimate Fighter pay structure where competitors got slight pay bumps when they won. In his estimate, Spicely concluded that in the course of three slap fights, the winner gets a total of $10,000.
From his end, White continues to try and defend his new endeavor, stating all contestants only take “3-5 slaps per event” while not allowed to defend, and making uneven comparisons to boxers taking more punches.
About the author: Milan Ordoñez has been covering combat sports since 2012 and has been part of the Bloody Elbow staff since 2016. He’s also competed in amateur mixed martial arts and submission grappling tournaments. (full bio)
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