UFC president Dana White is bringing slap fighting to Nevada.
White's Power Slap League received approval Tuesday to be regulated and overseen by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) following a vote at the organization's monthly meeting, according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi.
UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell, who is part of the Power Slap League's ownership group, gave a presentation about the new promotion during Tuesday's meeting.
"After testing it, it became clear to us that there's massive potential here as a sport, not unlike the early years of the UFC," Campbell told ESPN. "It made all the sense in the world to go toward regulation before the sport's commencing, for all the obvious reasons - No. 1, the health and safety of the competitors."
Slap fighting features two competitors who take turns striking each other in the face with an open hand. The sport gained notoriety in 2019 after videos of slap-fighting events went viral on social media.
Campbell said plans haven't been finalized yet for Power Slap League's first event, but they hope to see a "major broadcast partner" distribute the promotion by the end of this year.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and YouTuber-turned-boxer Logan Paul also got involved in the world of slap fighting earlier this year, launching the Slap Fighting Championship. Their first event took place in March at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio.
