He runs the world’s largest MMA fighting championship and is known for picking fights with journalists and his own athletes.
But UFC boss Dana White traded barbs with his most unlikely opponent yet this month: neuroscientists.
The dispute revolves around their new Power Slap promotion, a competition in which two competitors slap each other as hard as possible.
White was asked about a University of Pittsburgh study that found three-quarters of Power Slap contestants showed signs of a concussion.
When asked about the analysis, White sarcastically said, “It sounds legit.”
He added: “You saw an episode of the show, you don’t know anything about medical tests or what we do or any of the studies we’ve done; it sounds like these typical doctors seeking care to me.”
Male and female competitors from around the world travel to Nevada, where the Power Slap open-handed slapping competition takes place.
White did not specify what ‘doctors’ or studies the Power Slap organization has conducted.
Dr. Raj Lavadi, one of the researchers on the analysis, responded in X, inviting Mr. White to discuss the results.
He tweeted: ‘We appreciate that our study was presented to @danawhite for his thoughts, but our conclusions were drawn after watching “season 1 and main events 2-5”, and not just the “first episode.” “We will be happy to discuss this further.”
White is no stranger to backlash and has had to explain multiple controversies over the years, including over his relationship with former President Donald Trump and a physical altercation he had with his wife.
And earlier this year, he came under fire for defending a UFC fighter’s “freedom of speech” by making anti-LGBTQ+ comments.
White has also been criticized for how he pays his UFC fighters. The UFC executive told GQ that he believes boxers are paid too much and that UFC fighters are paid reasonably, but some fighters say otherwise and have filed lawsuits against White and the UFC.
He said: ‘Boxing has been absolutely destroyed because of money and all the things that happen. That will never happen while I’m here. Believe me, these guys get paid what they’re supposed to get paid.
‘They eat what they kill. They get a percentage of pay-per-view purchases. And the money is distributed among all the combatants.
White first announced Power Slap in late 2022, saying in a press conference that he had seen slap videos on social media and thought it would make for great television.
Male and female competitors from around the world travel to Nevada, where the state Athletic Commission regulates the league, and are divided into weight groups.
Competitors stand facing each other and finish by delivering an open-handed slap to their opponent’s cheek.
There are three rounds, each getting a score from the judges, and the slapper with the highest score is declared the winner.
In a promotional video for the competition, White called Power Slapping “the ultimate measure of toughness.”
Hunter Campbell, UFC commercial director, said ESPN in October 2022: ‘After trying it, it was clear to us that there is enormous potential here as a sport, not unlike the early years of the UFC.
“It made all the sense in the world to move towards regulation before the sport began, for all the obvious reasons: number one, the health and safety of the competitors.”
Dana White said the analysis researchers were “typical care-seeking doctors”
Power Slap is an open-handed slapping event in which opponents slap each other as hard as possible.
And White said league organizers and athletes were taking safety concerns seriously.
Despite this, doctors expressed concern even before the competitions began.
Neurologist Dr. Nitin Agarwal, one of the researchers of the recent analysis, told The Washington Post in 2022: “When it comes to the physical aspect of martial arts, safety and defense are paramount. For its virtues, slap boxing It is an offensive sport. There is no defense.
‘You can’t use your shoulder to protect yourself, you can’t use your hands to protect yourself, you can’t even turn your head to soften the blow or control where the blow is going to be placed. “That is very worrying.”
In their initial analysis, neurologists at the University of Pittsburgh looked at video footage of 139 matches, consisting of multiple rounds of slapping against the same opponent. These included 56 contestants and 333 individual slaps.
Among the contestants, 44 (or 79 percent) showed at least one sign of a concussion.
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that occurs when the brain moves or rotates rapidly inside the skull.
The injury can be caused by an impact to the head or a blow to the body that causes the head to move back and forth.
Symptoms include ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, fatigue, headache, confusion, amnesia, dizziness, and loss of consciousness.
In 72 matches (52 percent) and in 97 individual slaps (29 percent), competitors showed at least one sign of concussion, including unsteadiness, vacant or blank stares, and loss of consciousness.
The most frequent signs observed in slappers were difficulty standing, clumsiness or trembling of the legs, observed in 68 slaps and 54 matches.
This was followed by blank or blank stares, observed in 48 and 45 slaps and matches, respectively; delays in returning to standing position (34 and 33, respectively); and loss of responsiveness and/or consciousness (15 in both cases).
In Power Slap, contestants must stand on a box with their hands behind their back while their opponent slaps them.
In some cases, during matches, contestants fall to the ground and lose consciousness.
In 11 slaps and sequences, those hit showed signs of seizure, including stiffness or tension in the extremities.
The researchers concluded that “slap fights can induce traumatic brain injuries in contestants, with possible long-term consequences.”
They continued: “The risk is further increased as contestants must remain defenseless, allowing their opponents to achieve complete and precise contact with their heads during each offensive blow.”
A concussion can affect brain function, including concentration, balance, mood, and sleep.
People may experience delayed motor or cognitive function, slurred speech, and a dazed appearance, reports the Mayo Clinic.
Days later, someone with a concussion may experience memory problems, personality changes and increased irritability, changes in taste and smell, sleep problems, and sensitivity to light and noise.
When people experience these symptoms, they should seek medical help immediately by visiting their doctor or hospital.
And repeated concussions can cause brain swelling, bleeding, and even death.
The researchers added: “Slap fighting may be a more serious combat sport than previously thought, and strategies should be sought to prevent neurological death among its participants.”