Dana White promised a safer version of Power Slap | Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
In January, Dana White promised a safer version of Power Slap, the updated rules aren’t much different In January, UFC president Dana Wh…
Dana White promised a safer version of Power Slap | Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
In January, Dana White promised a safer version of Power Slap, the updated rules aren’t much different
In January, UFC president Dana White promised that Power Slap would become “MUCH safer.” In February, the team behind the slap fighting league had updated rules approved by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC).
Anyone expecting wholesale changes to the Power Slap rules likely found their hopes dashed when during the opening discussion of the changes at the February 15 meeting of the NSAC, one of the commission members said the updates consisted of “minor wording changes.”
When the NSAC gave Power Slap President Frank Lamicella the floor, he said the updates to the rules were made “working closely with (NSAC) Executive Director (Jeff) Mullen and (Nevada) deputy attorney general, Joel Bekker. Essentially digesting feedback from the first sanctioned matches. The changes are intended to provide more precise language to the rule set, uh, in terms of clarity and the healthy safety of the athletes.
“There are no material changes from the prior version approved,” Lamicella admited. “Almost all of this is wording to more accurately reflect what we were watching in front of us and how we see the sports slot sliding play out. Respectfully request that the commission approve this updated rule set today as we continue to build the sport.”
The one change the commission was concerned with was the wording around what is considered a legal or in the words of the Power Slap rules, a “Permitted Slap.”
Here is the wording in the first version of the Power Slap rules:
A “Permitted Slap” is a flat, open-handed strike of the palmar side of the hand to the Permitted Target Area. The palm, fingers and heel of hand (carpal bones), must make contact and impact simultaneously, with the palm (above the heel of the hand) landing on the cheek, and the heel of the hand landing on or past the chin. Strikers may not lead impact with the heel of hand or strike the heel of hand to the cheek or outside the Permitted Target Area. The fingers may be in their natural open position or closed, and may contact anywhere on the Defender’s face or head (other than to a facial orifice) as a natural extension of a Permitted Slap. Strikers may use either their left or right hand and may switch hands during the match.
Here is the updated version the NSAC unanimously approved in February:
A “Permitted Slap” is a flat, open-handed strike of the palmar side of the hand to the Permitted Target Area. The palm, fingers and heel of hand (carpal bones), must make contact and impact simultaneously, with the palm (above the heel of the hand) landing on the cheek, and the heel of the hand landing on or past the chin but not deeper than the chin. Strikers may not make first impact with the heel of hand or strike the heel of hand to the cheek or outside the Permitted Target Area. The fingers may be in their natural open position or closed, and may contact anywhere on the Defender’s face or head (other than to a facial orifice) as a natural extension of a Permitted Slap. Strikers may not form a “cup” shape with their hand. Strikers may use either their left or right hand and may switch hands during the match.
The difference in the updated version is that the following is added to the description of where a permitted strike can land, “…heel of the hand landing on or past the chin but not deeper than the chin.”
Some language of this section is cleaned up in the new version, “Strikers may not make first impact with the heel of hand or strike the heel of hand to the cheek or outside the Permitted Target Area.”
This line was also added to the updated rule set, “Strikers may not form a “cup” shape with their hand.”
Additionally, the replay official is given more responsibility under the new rule set.
Under the original rules:
The replay official’s sole authority is to conduct replay review. The replay official may pause the Match at any time to review and/or deliver its determination of a replay decision.
Updated rules:
The replay official’s sole authority is to observe the Match, on their dedicated monitor, to identify instances in which a Referee’s call or non-call requires a replay and review. When such a clear and convincing incident arises, the replay official will alert the Referee of such, pause the Match to conduct their replay review, and deliver their determination based on a clear and convincing standard. All Match ending sequences will be reviewed.
The role of replay was the most discussed topic during the NSAC meeting. NSAC chairman Anthony Marnell III was particularly concerned about non-permitted blows (fouls) being missed by the main referee during the action. Marnell’s biggest worry was the “carpal bone hitting the cheek.”
During the meeting, Marnell said, “I think we have to take this sport, whether you like it or not, just as serious as we take the $20 million, $100 million boxing match that we’re responsible for. We need a process for this because the way that I see this going, and I haven’t been to one yet in person, but watching this you are going to be reviewing every single slap. The clamp down on the carpal bone hitting the cheek first has got to be zero tolerance. It’s over at that point.”
Jon Jones won his UFC record 15th title fight with a submission win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 | Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
A running tally of important stats for all UFC events in 2023 Heading into Saturday’s …
Jon Jones won his UFC record 15th title fight with a submission win over Ciryl Gane at UFC 285 | Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
A running tally of important stats for all UFC events in 2023
Heading into Saturday’s UFC 285 fight card, Jon Jones held the record for UFC title fight wins with 14, while Valentina Shevchenko entered the event with the most title fight wins in the UFC women’s flyweight division with eight. Jones extended his record, defeating Ciryl Gane by submission in the first round and winning the vacant UFC heavyweight crown. Shevchenko’s record run ended in the UFC 285 co-main event when Alexa Grasso submitted her in the fourth stanza to win the promotion’s 125-pound women’s title.
Jones made easy work of Gane. The ex-UFC light heavyweight titleholder returned from over three years of inactivity — and without a title of his own to defend for the first time in more than four years — to score the fastest UFC title fight win in nearly two years.
As for Grasso, she had success with her striking in the first stanza of her bout against Shevchenko, but struggled in the second and third rounds when the defending champion used her wrestling and ground control to negate Grasso’s boxing skills. However, the tables turned in the fourth round when Shevchenko failed to connect on a spinning technique. That error allowed Grasso to pursue the choke that ended the fight.
Before the UFC 285 title fights, Shavkat Rakhmonov added his name to the UFC record book by securing a submission in the third round of his “Fight of the Night” bonus-winning scrap opposite Geoff Neal. With the win, Rakhmonov became the first UFC welterweight to start his career with the promotion with five straight finishes.
UFC 285’s main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.
Below, we look at all the significant UFC stats for 2023.
Shortest Five-Round Fight: Jon Jones submits Ciryl Gane at 2:04 of Round 1 via guillotine choke.
Shortest Three-Round Fight: Rinya Nakamura KOs Toshiomi Kazama at 0:33 of Round 1 via punch to head at distance at UFC Vegas 68.
Latest Finish in a Three-Round Fight: Brendan Allen submits Andre Muniz at 4:25 of Round 3 via rear-naked choke.
Most Takedowns Landed: Loik Radzhabov lands 11 takedowns on 21 attempts vs. Esteban Ribovics.
Most Submission Attempts: HyunSung Park three submission attempts against SeungGuk Choi, Jimmy Crutethree submission attempts against Alonzo Menifield, Clayton Carpenter with three submission attempts vs. Juancamilo Ronderos and Joe Solecki with three submission attempts vs. Carl Deaton.
Most Knockdowns Landed: Rinya Nakamura scores two knockdowns on Toshiomi Kazama , Alonzo Menifield scores two knockdowns on Jimmy Crute and Trevor Peek with two knockdowns vs. Erick Gonzalez.
Most Significant Strikes Landed in a Three-Round Fight: Jessica Andrade lands 231 of 369 significant strike attempts in unanimous decision win over Lauren Murphy.
Shutouts: Serghei Spivac prevents Derrick Lewis from landing any strikes or takedowns during their UFC Vegas 68 main event fight.
Jon Jones became the eighth double-champion in UFC history.
Jon Jones broke his own UFC record with 15 title fight wins.
Shavkat Rakhmonov became the first UFC welterweight to open his run with the promotion with five straight finishes.
Jamahal Hill lands 232 significant strikes in a UFC light heavyweight fight for a new UFC LHW single-fight record. Hill defeated Glover Teixeira to by unanimous decision to win the UFC light heavyweight title.
Jessica Andrade lands 231 significant strikes in a UFC women’s flyweight fight for a new UFC women’s flyweight record. Andrade defeated Lauren Murphy via unanimous decision.
Jessica Andrade tied Amanda Nunes for most wins in women’s UFC history with her 15th victory with the promotion.
Jim Miller participated in his 41st fight in the UFC. Andrei Arlovski is second to Miller with 39 UFC bouts.
With his one submission attempt vs. Alexander Hernandez, Jim Miller has the most submission attempts in UFC history with 47. Charles Oliveira is second with 40 submission attempts.
Jim Miller has 38 fights in the UFC lightweight division. Three other fighters: Clay Guida, Gleison Tibau and Joe Lauzon are tied for second with 27 fighters each.
Jim Miller has 6:18:59 of UFC lightweight fight time. Clay Guida is second with 5:10:50.
Jim Miller has 44 submission attempts in UFC lightweight fights. Joe Lauzon is second with 29.
Erin Blanchfield has a control time percentage of 55.4 percent in UFC flyweight fights. Taila Santos is second with 46.3 percent.
Erin Blanchfield has a top position percentage of 48.6 percent in UFC flyweight fights. Gillian Robertson is second at 41.9 percent.
Erin Blanchfield averages 1.57 submissions per 15 minutes of UFC women’s flyweight fight time. Taila Santos is second at 1.5.
Mayra Bueno Silva secures first kneebar submission in UFC women’s bantamweight history.
Slap Club, a new slap fighting promotion looks for approval in Florida | Photo by Gaelen Morse/Getty Images
Titan FC execs Lex McMahon and Jeff Aronson seek approval of Florida Athletic Commission for Slap Club promotion…
Slap Club, a new slap fighting promotion looks for approval in Florida | Photo by Gaelen Morse/Getty Images
Titan FC execs Lex McMahon and Jeff Aronson seek approval of Florida Athletic Commission for Slap Club promotion
In October, the Nevada State Athletic Commission agreed to regulate slap fighting as a combat sport. In February, the Florida Athletic Commission was asked to approve the “sport” where two people slap each other in face, with defense not allowed, and it has held off on doing so, at least for now.
During the February 22 meeting of the Florida Athletic Commission (FAC), the members of that group considered the following letter, addressed to Florida State Boxing Commission executive director, Patrick Cunningham. The letter, dated November 10, 2022, was submitted to the FAC by Lex McMahon, who is the COO of Titan FC. McMahon mentions that Titan FC CEO Jeff Aronson is his partner for the promotion seeking approval, which goes by SLAP CLUB.
I hope this letter finds you well. The purpose of this communication is to make formal request to have the Florida Athletic Commission review my proposal to sanction professional slap fighting in the state of Florida and to allow my new venture SLAP CLUB to promote professional slap fighting in the jurisdiction.
WHAT IS SLAP FIGHTING
Slap fighting is a new and exciting form of combat sports where athletes exchange open handed single blows to defined portion of the face during a multi-round contest.
WHY SHOULD FLORIDA SANCTION PROFESSIONAL SLAP FIGHTING AS PROMOTED BY SLAP CLUB
Professional slap fighting has become a global phenomenon where videos of contests garner millions of views and live events are attended by large audiences. Professional slap fighting has existed in various forms for years and originated in Europe but is viewed globally.
The sport has many fans, including Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta of UFC fame. White and Fertitta have recently launched Power Slap League and will be holding a kick off press conference tomorrow, November 11th, 2022.
Professional slap fighting has been largely unregulated. However, that is changing as White and Fertitta worked closely with the Nevada Athletic Commission for over a year to create a rule set and safety protocols that would put athlete safety at the forefront. As a result of these efforts, the Nevada Athletic Commission approved regulation of professional slap fighting. White and Fertitta have indicated that they will have a broadcast partner in the near future which will further grow the popularity of the sport.
As the sport grows in popularity, the opportunity for exposure and revenue will increase significantly. The Florida Athletic Commission would benefit by becoming an early adopter of the sport. SLAP CLUB 7
My partner, Jeff Aronson and I have been in the combat sports industry for thirteen years, owning one of the premiere MMA management companies as well as owning and promoting MMA,Kickboxing, and Grappling in Titan FC, LLC. Additionally, Jeff and I bring significant business experience in various industries ranging from consumer goods to investing.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
In an abundance of caution and in an effort to ensure athlete safety, the league will leverage our deep bench experience in combat sports to have similar medical requirements, weight classes, and matchmaking that are utilized in MMA and have proven safe and effective. Additionally, the rule set (discussed below) has been designed with athlete safety in mind.
In terms of protective equipment, athletes will be required to wear a fitted mouth guard and ear protection.
RULE SET
Rounds: Three (3) for non-title, Five (5) for title. Each athlete is afforded one (1) slap per round.
Target Area: Side of the face, not to extend behind the ear. Slaps to the front of the face and the back of the head shall not be allowed and are deemed illegal blows.
Judging: A winner will be determined by commissioned judges on a 10-point system similar to MMA or the knockout or technical knockout of one of the competitors.
Referee: A referee will enforce rules and maintain order on the competition platform.
CLOSING
Professional slap fighting is a new and entertaining sport that is poised to be the next high growth sport and as such should be regulated to ensure athlete safety and professionalism of promoters and those looking to capitalize on this unique business opportunity, Slap Club has the experience in Combat Sports and business to bring this concept to fruition in a safe, effective, and exciting manner.
Following the letter, the FAC was provided with the “Official Rules of Power Slap” document.
Bloody Elbow reached out to the FAC following its February meeting. The deputy director of communications for the FAC provided Bloody Elbow with the following statement:
“At this time, the Florida Athletic Commission (FAC) has not made a decision on slap fighting and there is no set date for a decision to be made. The FAC is planning to discuss the matter further with medical professionals at a future meeting.”
Jon Jones won the vacant UFC heavyweight title with a first-round submission win over Ciryl Gane | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Jon Jones wins UFC heavyweight title with his first submission win since …
Jon Jones won the vacant UFC heavyweight title with a first-round submission win over Ciryl Gane | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Jon Jones wins UFC heavyweight title with his first submission win since 2012
One would have to go back to April 2021 to find a UFC title fight that ended faster than the main event of Saturday’s UFC 285 card. That 2021 matchup saw Rose Namajunas take the women’s strawweight title from Zhang Weili via a well-timed head kick. Saturday’s title tilt saw former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones capture the vacant UFC heavyweight belt via a guillotine choke submission at 2:04 of the first stanza. Jones forced ex-interim heavyweight titleholder Ciryl Gane to tap to that technique.
Jones, who had not fought since he defended his light heavyweight crown with a decision win over Dominick Reyes in February 2020, absorbed six significant strikes and scored two takedowns before securing his first submission victory since he stopped Vitor Belfort in 2012.
In the evening’s co-main event, Alexa Grasso ended the four-plus year flyweight title reign of Valentina Shevchenko with a submission in the fourth round after quickly taking Shevchenko’s back after her opponent failed to land a spinning back kick.
Earlier on the pay-per-view card, Shavkat Rakhmonov moved his UFC record to 5-0 with a third-round submission win over Geoff Neal. With the win, Rakhmonov entered his name in the UFC record books, becoming the first welterweight in the promotion’s history to begin his career with five straight stoppage wins.
Below, we take a deep dive into the stats from the event. UFC 284’s main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+.
The real winners and losers from UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane The history of combat sports is littered with broken promises. So when Jon Jones said he would make his UFC 285 mai…
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
The real winners and losers from UFC 285: Jones vs. Gane
The history of combat sports is littered with broken promises. So when Jon Jones said he would make his UFC 285 main event contest opposite Ciryl Gane look “surprisingly easy,” I had doubts about that claim.
The reasons for those doubts? Jones hadn’t fought in over three years. He hadn’t looked great in his wins over Thiago Santos in 2019 and Dominick Reyes in 2020. He was facing a true heavyweight in Ciryl Gane. There was no benchmark to judge a heavyweight Jones against as he hadn’t established a baseline in that weight division.
It took the former UFC light heavyweight champion 124 seconds to deliver on his pre-fight promise. as he scored a takedown and secured a guillotine choke to win the vacant UFC heavyweight title. Did he make it look surprisingly easy? He did.
Alexa Grasso scored a more surprising victory in the evening’s co-main event. For a woman who came across as unsure if she wanted a title fight against UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko following her win over Viviane Araujo in October, Grasso did not look bothered by the spotlight or overwhelmed by the moment.
Unlike Jones, Grasso did not have an easy go of things, but her ability to seize upon a rare mistake gave her the win and the flyweight title. In submitting Shevchenko in the fourth round, Grasso ended her opponent’s nine-fight winning streak, becoming the first woman ever to force Shevchenko to tap.
Also on the UFC 285 pay-per-view card, Shavkat Rakhmonov kept his run of UFC wins via stoppage alive with a nasty submission win over Geoff Neal and Bo Nickal increased the hype around his MMA career with a submission win of his own against Jamie Pickett.
UFC 285 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card streamed on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and early prelims on ESPN+. Read on for the winners and losers from the event.
Winners
Jon Jones: Well, he said he was going to make it look easy and he did. Jon Jones returned to action after more than three years away from the octagon and at a higher weight and just ran through Ciryl Gane, securing a takedown and a sneaky guillotine choke that brought a quick tap from the former interim UFC heavyweight champ.
Did Jones answer every question we had about him at heavyweight? No, but he answered many of them. The rest of those questions could be out to rest if Jones faces former champion Stipe Miocic in his first UFC heavyweight title defense.
Stipe Miocic: The former UFC heavyweight champ hasn’t fought since he lost that title to Francis Ngannou in March 2021. With Jones winning the belt at UFC 285 and Francis Ngannou out of the picture, it looks like Miocic will get the first shot at removing Jones from the top of the UFC heavyweight division.
Alexa Grasso: Alexa Grasso had a good first round opposite Valentina Shevchenko, scoring with her boxing in the first round of the co-main event of UFC 285. However, Shevchenko, who has shown herself to be a smart and patient fighter who can adjust in the heat of battle, did just that, exploiting Grasso’s suspect takedown defense.
Unfortunately for Shevchenko, Grasso was able to take advantage of Shevchenko missing a spinning back kick. With Shevchenko out of position, Grasso quickly took her back and looked for a rear naked choke, ending the fight — and Shevchenko’s title reign — in the fourth round.
Geoff Neal vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov: Geoff Neal and Shavkat Rakhmonov put on a splendid catchweight contest. Neal, who came in at 175 pounds for the scheduled welterweight scrap, showcased his boxing skills, hurting Rakhmonov more than once. Meanwhile, Rakhmonov mixed up his striking techniques, picking apart his opponent with head strikes and body blows while at the same time displaying a sturdy chin.
With his late third-round submission win, Rakhmonov scored his fifth consecutive finish during his five-fight UFC career. At 28, Rakhmonov looks as if he is ready to face the top five of the 170-pound division.
Mateusz Gamrot vs. Jalin Turner: Mateusz Gamrot took a chance in accepting a short notice fight against Jalin Turner and it paid off for him as he took a split decision win. The victory was a bounce-back performance following a loss to Beneil Dariush in October.
As for Turner, his five-fight winning streak came to an end on Saturday night.
This was a good fight. Turner used his length when the bout took place at range, while Gamrot shined when he could close distance, pick up takedowns, and work on the mat.
Bo Nickal: Is Bo Nickal ready for ranked UFC competition? Looking at his performance at UFC 285, his two previous Dana White Contender Series victories and the depth of the UFC middleweight division, the answer is yes.
Cody Garbrandt: Cody Garbrandt fought smart in the first two rounds against Trevin Jones, but by no means did he live up to the hype that Joe Rogan piled on him during the broadcast, especially since Jones landed a total of nine significant strikes throughout the first 10 minutes of this bantamweight fight.
I wouldn’t say Garbrandt is ready to face a ranked opponent in his next outing, but at this point in his career, the 31-year-old former UFC champ needed a win. He got that at UFC 285. That’s not nothing.
Dricus Du Plessis: The 29-year-old Dricus Du Plessis added another win over a sliding middleweight on Saturday when he stopped Derek Brunson at the end of the second round. Du Plessis has wins over Brad Tavares, Darren Till and now Brunson since July 2022. This was a significant victory for Du Plessis since Brunson was the No. 5 fighter in the official UFC middleweight rankings ahead of UFC 285.
I’m still unsure of the upside of Du Plessis, but with his win at UFC 285, we should get an idea of just how high he can climb in his next fight, which should come against an opponent inside the top five.
Derek Brunson’s corner: With things going against their fighter at the end of the second round of his bout opposite Dricus du Plessis, Derek Brunson’s corner threw in the towel. This doesn’t happen nearly enough in MMA. It should happen more.
Amanda Ribas: Amanda Ribas had a rough first round against her UFC 285 flyweight opponent, Viviane Araújo, but she bounced back with a knockdown early in the second stanza and then proceeded to dominate the entire round on the ground. Ribas’ confidence increased in the third stanza, where she was more active in her striking and also pushed the pace of the contest.
When the fight ended, Ribas earned the victory, which should be an incredible boost to her standing in the flyweight division, considering Araújo entered the contest as the No. 8 ranked fighter in the official UFC flyweight rankings.
Marc-André Barriault: Marc-André Barriault is known for his pressure and pace. The Canadian fighter did not use much forward motion in the first round of his matchup with Julian Marquez. Instead, he allowed Marquez to dictate the pace of the fight. That was a wise decision because that approach emptied Marquez’s gas tank.
Barriault put the gas pedal to the floor to start the second round and took over the fight, pushing the pace and creating openings that led to the knockout win.
Ian Garry: Ian Garry is a young, confident fighter with good offensive skills. What he lacks — and he hasn’t shown any progress in this department since he made his UFC debut in 2021 — is defense. Nevertheless, Garry did what he was supposed to do against Song Kenan, who was coming off a first-round knockout loss against Max Griffin, stopping the fight in the third round via strikes.
After allowing Song to score a knockdown with a big left hook, Garry went through a rough patch in the first round. Will that be the wake-up call the 25-year-old needs to work on his defense? Because, let’s be honest, he needs to work on his defense if he hopes to rise up the welterweight ranks.
Tabatha Ricci: Tabatha Ricci dominated Jessica Penne on her way to earning her first stoppage win under the UFC banner. Ricci and her team had a good game plan for the strawweight fight and executed well on the way to the second-round armbar win, which put her on a three-fight UFC winning streak.
Loik Radzhabov: Loik Radzhabov took his fight against Esteban Ribovics on short notice and that fact became obvious late in the second round when his cardio faded. However, the 32-year-old did enough throughout the lightweight contest to get the unanimous decision win (29-28 x 3). Much of Radzhabov’s success came thanks to the fact that he rang up 11 takedowns on 21 attempts.
Radzhabov looked good early, but he faded late. So with that, the jury remains out on his potential until we see what he looks like with a full camp under his belt.
Losers
Ciryl Gane: It’s hard to see where Ciryl Gane goes from here. He’s clearly a talented fighter, but two title fight losses in a little more than a year will keep him from another shot at the belt for some time. And don’t think future opponents won’t look at the fact that he only defended one of seven takedown attempts combined against Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou.
Valentina Shevchenko: For a fighter known for not making many mistakes, Shevchenko made a costly error at UFC 285, throwing a spinning back kick that missed and failing to return to position. With that, the long-reigning champ found herself in a terrible situation, with Grasso on her back searching for a rear-naked choke, which ended Shevchenko’s title reign 4:34 into Round 4.
Trevin Jones: A late replacement for Julio Arce against Cody Garbrandt, Trevin Jones, who was on a three-fight losing skid, only landed nine strikes in the first two rounds of this bantamweight fight. He picked things up in the third round and seemingly hurt his opponent during the final five minutes. However, his offense was too little, too late and Jones lost his fourth straight UFC contest.
Derek Brunson: Derek Brunson’s days as the middleweight gatekeeper might have come to an end with the way his fight opposite Dricus Du Plessis came to an end on Saturday.
Julian Marquez: Julian Marquez was not as fast as Marc-André Barriault with his striking in the opening round of their middleweight fight. However, he found gaps that allowed him to connect with more power. In the early going, Marquez refused to allow Barriault to dictate the pace and location of the fight. Unfortunately, he could not sustain that early pace in the second round and when Marquez’s cardio began to wane, he became sloppy and allowed openings that Barriault exploited before he finished the fight with an onslaught against the fence.
Cameron Saaiman: Cameron Saaiman looks like a good young fighter, but damn, his propensity for committing fouls — two low blows and an eye poke in his fight opposite Leomana Martinez — and an illegal knee in his UFC debut, is an enormous concern.
Jessica Penne: The 40-year-old Jessica Penne had no answer for Tabitha Ricci. During the fight, which ended with Ricci securing a second-round submission win, Penne let her opponent dictate everything about the contest. With the loss, Penne is 0-2 in her past two outings and she could find herself outside looking in when the UFC goes through its next roster culling.
Esteban Ribovics: Esteban Ribovics showed resiliency and power in his fight against Loik Radzhabov. What he didn’t display was an ability to stop takedowns. If Ribovics, who made his UFC debut on Saturday, doesn’t get favorable matchups or shore up his takedown defense, his run with the promotion could be short.
Jon Anik: In the early moments of the UFC 285 broadcast, Jon Anik mentioned that Jon Jones and Ciryl Gane were fighting for the undisputed heavyweight title. C’mon now. As long as Francis Ngannou is around, that title should be all kinds of disputed.
Dana White’s Power Slap continues to struggle in the ratings in Week 7 | Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Week 7 of Dana White’s Power Slap league once again squandered a big lead-in from AEW Wrestlin…
Dana White’s Power Slap continues to struggle in the ratings in Week 7 | Photo by Amy Kaplan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Week 7 of Dana White’s Power Slap league once again squandered a big lead-in from AEW Wrestling
Dana White’s Power Slap continued to struggle to hold on to most of the viewers AEW Wrestling provided as a lead-in during Week 7 of the TBS show. As has been the case throughout the scheduled eight-episode season of the slap fighting league, the 8 p.m. wrestling broadcast was near the top of the Wednesday Night cable ratings. The two-hour wrestling show was No. 3 for the evening of March 1 with 833,000 viewers. According to the numbers provided by ShowBuzzDaily, Power Slap was No. 50 on the night with 277,000 viewers.
The two telecasts rated higher than AEW for Wednesday night were the two NBA games ESPN showed. The early game had a rating of 0.41 for the 18-49 demographic, while the late game pulled a 0.37. The TBS wrestling program had a 0.27 rating in that age bracket. Meanwhile, Power Slap fell from 0.10 last week to 0.09 this week with viewers between 18-49.
Power Slap: Road to the Title, which is scheduled to end its first season next Wednesday, had its best rating during Week 2 when it pulled a .13 with 18-49 year-olds. The slap fighting show was the No. 30 cable broadcast that night. However, it must be noted that AEW Wrestling had its second-best numbers as a lead-in for Power Slap that week with a .32 rating in the 18-49 age group and 1.003 million viewers.
Here is a look back at how Power Slap has fared since its first episode:
Week 1: 295,000 viewers, 0.10 share, No 45. rated program for the night.
Week 2: 413,000 viewers, 0.13 share, No. 30 rated program for the night.
Week 3: 284,000 viewers, 0.09 share, No. 51 rated program for the night.
Week 4: 275,000 viewers, 0.08 share, No. 68 rated program for the night.
Week 5: 275,000 viewers, 0.09 share, No. 55 rated program for the night.
Week 6: 309,000 viewers 0.10 share. No. 43 rated program for the night.
In January, a report circulated that Power Slap would hold a pay-per-view event after its eight-week run on TBS. However, there was no confirmation from White or anyone involved with the slap fighting league on that report, and the request Schiaffo LLC made for the March 11 Power Slap event at the UFC Apex did not mention a PPV broadcast.
Instead of the reported PPV, the finale will be a free stream instead.
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