Dana White’s Power Slap League will conclude this weekend with its championship games in Las Vegas.
And while some question the safety of this new combat sport, the former Nevada State Athletic Commission chairman regrets sanctioning the league in the first place.
Stephen Cloobeck, who resigned in December after more than halfway through his two-year tenure, was there when the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) sanctioned White’s latest venture.
In this photo provided by Zuffa LLC, Azael Rodriguez punches Jesus Gaspar in a power slap event in Rio De Janiero, Brazil on Nov. 30, 2022. (Mike Roach/Sciaffo LLC via AP)
But it’s a decision he now regrets.
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“I made a mistake,” Cloobeck told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “I’m not happy about it.”
White recently addressed the league’s concerns, saying at a press conference on Wednesday that his involvement likely sparked the outrage.
“The Las Vegas Review-Journal talks about how shameful the Nevada State Athletic Commission should be ashamed to sanction power slap, right?” said White. “The Nevada State Athletic Commission is the best athletic commission in the world. It’s not just because it’s in our hometown. If the equivalent of the Nevada State Athletic Commission was in Alaska, we’d go to them for approval, right?
UFC President Dana White apologized for an incident in Mexico involving his wife Anne. (AP Photo/John Locher, file)
“It doesn’t matter what you think about it. This has been happening unregulated for 10 years. And the sports commission comes in and oversees it and makes sure that all the health and safety precautions are in place, that everyone is complying and doing what they’re supposed to be doing. These unregulated events are happening all over the world.”
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White defended the league’s medical tests, citing the example of a fighter who underwent a test to determine he had “a brain aneurysm.”
“We’re letting him know that the fight is over and that this guy should never compete in any martial arts again. That is why health and safety is so important and should be regulated.”
In this photo provided by Zuffa LLC, Ryan Phillips punches Rob Perez in a power slap event in Las Vegas on March 31, 2022. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via AP)
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White announced during the press conference that the league has received approval to hold events in five states. The league is also backed by the commission and is awaiting approval in five other states, and six other states have held talks about it.