The newly-created “Power Slap” fighting league, recent brainchild of UFC President Dana White, promised “big things slappening in 2023” — complete with slap emoji — though I doubt this is what the promotion had in mind.
Less than two weeks before the league’s premiere on TBS, White was caught on video slapping his wife during a New Year’s Eve party in Mexico. As a result, the network has delayed the Power Slap launch, previously booked for next Wednesday (Jan. 11).
“Dana White’s Power Slap League has been removed from the TBS programming schedule ahead of its expected launch on Jan. 11,” veteran MMA reporter Damon Martin wrote on Twitter. “The Power Slap page was also removed from the TBS website. Warner Media has not responded to multiple messages asking for comment.”
White publicly apologized for the altercation in the days that followed but the incident cast a long shadow over a promotion built on professional slapping. ESPN later reported that the Power Slap premiere is now being postponed until Jan. 18 but failed to disclose why.
Expect more programming details in the coming days.