Anthony Smith is fully on board with the Power Slap League.
Dana White’s newest project has been a polarizing one, to say the least. The large majority of mixed martial arts (MMA) fans (and fighters) who watch Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) have voiced their disinterest in the new slap-fight series.
One fighter who couldn’t be any more interested in the product, however, is the one-time Light Heavyweight title challenger, “Lionheart.”
“I cannot get enough of the Power Slap League,” Smith told MMA on Sirius XM. “My body is ready for a pay-per-view. I will pay it, I don’t care how much it costs. I’ll pre-pay. I’ll pre-pay the next 10. I love it. I don’t know why, I can’t give you a reason. Maybe because I was there during the pilot of it and I’ve seen it in person.
“I got to meet these guys and I got to talk to them,” he continued. “Imagine what you think some of these guys would be like that are involved in the Power Slap League. That’s exactly how they are. I am a fan of chaos. These guys are goddamn maniacs. There’s something wrong with them. There’s something not right, they got a couple screws loose, and they’re my type of people. I love ‘em. I loved every second of it. I love talking to them, I support them.”
The biggest detraction from Power Slap has been its seeming lack of safety, allowing competitors to be willingly hit in the head without defending themselves. Power Slap’s eight-episode series is currently underway on TBS each Wednesday night.
“I know that a lot of people hate it, I know that a lot of people think it’s gross,” Smith said. “I love combat sports. I don’t even know if I would call it a sport. It might not be, but I love it.”