Published 01/24/2023, 6:00 PM EST
Dana White’s new project has been constantly under fire from fans and even many of the UFC’s fighters alike. ‘The Power Slap’ league which recently went on air has been heavily criticized due to the heavy blows that athletes dealt with each other. While White is not known for cowering in criticism, the UFC President must have surely wished for a better reception of the show. In a recent tweet by Zain Bando, a sportswriter, White seemed to have agreed to work on the safety aspects of the sport. Bando tweeted his reaction and shared screenshots of Dana White’s comments as well. Fans might finally expect an improvement in the safety standards of the sport with this information.
Dana White responds to questions of safety in the Power Slap league
Reaction to the league has mostly been of shock and outrage. While fighters and fans have raised their voice, even brain specialists have protested against the sport. Some of them have even mentioned permanent brain damage as a guarantee. With all these questions on brain health and trauma arising, Dana White seemed to have taken note of the same.
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Zain Bando’s tweet is probably a sign that the UFC president has considered shaking things up a bit.
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Bando’s tweet expressed his excitement for the sport while confirming White’s promise of safety: “Dana White tells me and many others that as Season 1 of PowerSlap goes on, the sport will become “much safer” and that more people will begin to understand how it actually works. I can’t say that I’m not excited for episode 2, because I am”
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 04: UFC President Dana White speaks to the media during the UFC 217 post fight press conference event inside Madison Square Garden on November 4, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The confirmation for this was also provided in a screenshot of White’s response to Bando’s comment.
Bando’s comment read: “Thanks for being transparent and really wanting to make slap fighting as safe as possible”
Dana’s response was: “appreciate it and yes it will be MUCH safer”
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Controversies surrounding the show
The show has been mired in controversy right from the get-go. In a sequence that matched that of a comedic movie, the show was postponed when the UFC president was caught slapping his wife. Naturally, it attracted a world of trolling and abuse for the 53-year-old. But that clearly did not deter White as he went on, with the show finally airing on January 18.
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Apart from the trolling, White and the sport have both been heavily criticized as well. Although many fighters have chosen to stay silent, there have been a few who have raised their doubts. Dustin Poirier is probably one of the big names who expressed their disappointment. The main aspect of the sport that worries fans is the damage that athletes are exposed to. Since there is no type of defence allowed, the athletes end up taking the full force of the blow on their chins. Permanent brain damage and long-term effects are obviously the main issues involved in this case.
With the tweet by Zain Bando, one can only hope that Dana White makes the necessary changes. Although what rules can be substituted to make the sport safer is a topic that we can only wait and find out.