Tag: Power Slap

Ex-UFC fighter Paige VanZant scores dominant victory in Power Slap debut – Power Slap 8 Highlights

Ex-UFC fighter Paige VanZant scores dominant victory in Power Slap debut - Power Slap 8 HighlightsPaige VanZant made her successful Power Slap debut on Friday night, securing a win over Christine Wolmarans inside Fontainebleau…

Ex-UFC fighter Paige VanZant scores dominant victory in Power Slap debut - Power Slap 8 Highlights

Paige VanZant made her successful Power Slap debut on Friday night, securing a win over Christine Wolmarans inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

Winning the coin toss, VanZant was allowed to slap first. Winding up three times, ’12 Gauge’ showed off her power and delivered an excellent first slap, though Wolmarans ate it well. Coming back, the South African delivered a return blow that VanZant took with relative ease.

In the second round, VanZant delivered a booming shot that wobbled Wolmarans, forcing her to use the podium to stay upright before taking a knee and prompting a 10-count from referee Mark Smith. Wolmarans answered the count and came back with a strike that ‘PVZ’ once again took without much of a reaction.

Going to the third and final round, VanZant again sent Wolmarans to her knee, but the South African would not go away. Wolmarans delivered her final shot of the match, but ’12 Gauge’ was issued a foul for flinching, allowing Wolmarans to re-slap.

Despite the extra opportunity, Wolmarans was unable to muster the power to put away the multi-sport star, leading to a unanimous decision victory for VanZant.

Official Result: Paige VanZant def. Christine Wolmarans via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-25)

Paige VanZant is far from done with power slap

Following the match, VanZant spoke with Charly Arnolt on the mat and expressed her desire to return to the Power Slap podium in the future.

What did you think of VanZant’s Power Slap debut?

Paige VanZant explains decision to make Power Slap move: ‘I’m a woman who does whatever I want’

Paige VanZant explains Power Slap move I'm a woman who does whatever I wantFormer UFC strawweight contender, Paige VanZant is slated to make her debut in slap fighting tomorrow night – under…

Paige VanZant explains Power Slap move I'm a woman who does whatever I want

Former UFC strawweight contender, Paige VanZant is slated to make her debut in slap fighting tomorrow night – under the Power Slap banner, and to many’s surprise – seems to be taking the move in her stride, labelling herself a “gangster” for making the move.

VanZant, a former strawweight and flyweight contender under the banner of the UFC, departed the Dana White-led promotion back in 2020, following an opening round armbar submission loss to Brazilian contender, Amanda Ribas in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Paige VanZant vows to return to BKFC after boxing fight with Elle Brooks They will definitely see me again

And in the time since, Oregon native, VanZant has made the move to bare knuckle fighting with BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) – suffering consecutive decision losses to both Britain Hart, and former UFC opponent, Rachael Ostovich. 

Competing in a professional boxing match just last month, VanZant – who has competed in mixed martial arts on thirteen separate occasions, fought to a split decision draw with social media influencer, Elle Brooke. 

Paige VanZant vs. Elle Brooke

And last week, the UFC confirmed how VanZant would be making a surprising move to the Power Slap organization – led by the above-mentioned, White – and would be debuting this week.

Paige VanZant explains Power Slap signing

Overnight, speaking with assembled media ahead of UFC 303, VanZant, 30, explained her decision to compete in the controversial promotion.

paige vanzant

“I got called if I would do Power Slap,” Paige VanZant said. “I said, ‘Absolutely.’ And that was it. Signed the contract and here i am to do Power Slap. I think it’s exciting for me because it’s like, listen, I am a gangster. Whether people want to admit it or not, I am here to slap somebody, it doesn’t matter what organization, what combat sport, I’m here to take over and have some fun.”

“I think the narrative for me right now perfectly falls in line with continuing to do Power Slap alongside my boxing,” Paige VanZant explained. “I still intend to box again at the end of the year. I’m waiting for the date on that. This fits in line with that. It’s preparation, it’s preparing to cause damage and try not to take damage, but inevitably, in Power Slap you’re gonna get hit. So, who knows? I am a woman who does whatever the f*ck I want and right now, I want to do Power Slap.”

What are your thoughts on Paige VanZant’s decision to move to Power Slap?

Video – Paige VanZant tests out her slapping skills ahead of Power Slap debut on June 28

Video - Paige VanZant tests out her slapping skills ahead of Power Slap debut on June 28Ex-UFC fighter turned BKFC brawler Paige VanZant is getting her slaphand ready. After testing out her skills in the…

Video - Paige VanZant tests out her slapping skills ahead of Power Slap debut on June 28

Ex-UFC fighter turned BKFC brawler Paige VanZant is getting her slaphand ready.

After testing out her skills in the Octagon, the squared circle, and the boxing ring, ’12 Gauge’ will try her hand (literally) at Power Slap, Dana White’s controversial pet project that some have described as nothing more than sanctioned brain trauma.

Paige VanZant

As announced during Saturday’s UFC Saudi Arabia broadcast, VanZant will make her promotional debut on Friday, June 28 at Power Slap 8 when she meets Christine ‘The Edge’ Wolmarans.

With the event only days away, VanZant has been hard at work in the gym, getting her pimp hand strong as she looks to invade yet another combat sport.

After Tackling MMA, Bare-Knuckle, and Boxing, Paige VanZant Puts her toughness to the test with power slap

After seven years of competing inside the Octagon, going 5-4 in the process, VanZant traded in her four-ounce gloves for a pair of hand wraps, singing with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in 2021. Unfortunately, ’12 Gauge’ failed to live up to her million-dollar deal, losing back-to-back bouts against Britain Hart and Rachael Ostovich.

Paige VanZant

Last month, PVZ made her professional boxing debut under the Misfits Boxing banner, challenging reigning middleweight champion Elle Brooke at the MF & DAZN X Series 15 in Houston. Though she didn’t take another L, VanZant didn’t leave with the gold either.

After five rounds of action, the judges scored it a majority draw, paving the way for the two to run it back later this year.

Paige VanZant

But not before she tests her slapping skills in ‘Sin City.’

Paige vanzant powerslap

Ex-UFC fighter Paige VanZant signs with Power Slap, set to make promotional debut on June 28

Ex-UFC fighter Paige VanZant signs with Power Slap, set to make promotional debut on June 28Paige VanZant is headed to Power Slap! During the UFC Saudi Arabia broadcast on Saturday, CEO Dana White revealed…

Ex-UFC fighter Paige VanZant signs with Power Slap, set to make promotional debut on June 28

Paige VanZant is headed to Power Slap!

During the UFC Saudi Arabia broadcast on Saturday, CEO Dana White revealed that ’12 Gauge’ would be making her Power Slap debut at the Power Slap 8 event on June 28 against South Africa’s Christine Wolmarans.

It’s just the latest in a series of combat sports endeavors for the UFC fighter turned BKFC brawler. After seven years of competing inside the Octagon, going 5-4 in the process, ’12 Gauge’ signed a lucrative deal with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

Unfortunately, ‘PVZ’ failed to live up to the hype, losing back-to-back bouts against Britain Hart and Rachael Ostovich inside the squared circle.

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Paige VanZant makes power slap debut on the heels of her first pro boxing boxing

In May, she made her pro boxing debut, challenging Elle Brooke for the Misfits Boxing middleweight title. Though she didn’t lose, she didn’t take home the gold either as the judges scored the fight a split draw. VanZant is expected to rematch Brooke later this year.

But not before she tests out her open-handed slapping skills as a part of Dana White’s latest pet project.

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Though Paige VanZant has struggled to find the win column in recent years, her toughness and durability are undeniable. In 16 career fights, she’s never been KO’d—a stat that could serve her well in this new venture.

UFC Hall of Famer ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone says Power Slap is great ‘if you want to hear CTE brain damage’

Cowboy Cerrone on Power SlapDonald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone loves Power Slap — just don’t expect him to ever participate in it. On Friday night, the…

Cowboy Cerrone on Power Slap

Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone loves Power Slap — just don’t expect him to ever participate in it.

On Friday night, the controversial upstart promotion’s sixth event went down in Las Vegas and drew a plethora of combat sports stars, online influencers, and celebrities. Also on hand for the festivities was the UFC Hall of Famer who offered an interesting endorsement for Dana White’s latest pet project.

“I love it,” Cerrone said. “This is, like, if you just want to watch knockout, knockout, knockout, and hear CTE brain damage, this is the event” (h/t MMA Fighting).

The UFC CEO has been pushing Power Slap hard over the last couple of years despite continued criticism from professional fighters and fight fans who have labeled the quote-unquote “sport” as nothing more than a barbaric display lacking any legitimate athletic merit.

Former NSAC Chairman Admits Regret over Sanctioning Power Slap

The inherent danger of Power Slap has also been a hot-button issue considering the entire premise is to hit someone in the head as hard as you can with the recipient disallowed from defending themselves. Still, that didn’t stop the NSAC from sanctioning Power Slap, a decision Stephen Cloobec — the former chairman of the Nevada State Athletic Commission — quickly came to regret. “I made a mistake,” Cloobeck told The Associated Press. “I’m not happy about it.”

‘Cowboy’ Cerrone spent 16 years competing against some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts under both the WEC and UFC banners. His memorable wars with Benson Henderson, Nate Diaz, Anthony Pettis, Rafael dos Anjos, Edson Barboza, Jorge Masvidal, Robbie Lawler, Leon Edwards, Tony Ferguson, and Justin Gaethje earned him a spot in the UFC’s Hall of Fame class of 2023.

But even after more than 50 fights inside the cage, don’t expect to see ‘Cowboy’ step up to the Power Slap podium anytime soon.

“Not even I would do this,” Cerrone said with a laugh.

UFC leader Dana White defends Power Slap League, claims criticism comes from ‘Un-Education or pure hate’

Dana White defends Power Slap un-education or hate UFCDana White chalks up the criticism being lobbed at his Power Slap project as nothing more than “un-education or pure hate. The UFC President is undoubtedly one of mixed martial arts’ most prominent figures, turning the once-maligned sport into a global empire worth billions of dollars. Now, Dana White is determined to take the social-media-friendly […]

Dana White defends Power Slap un-education or hate UFC

Dana White chalks up the criticism being lobbed at his Power Slap project as nothing more than “un-education or pure hate.

The UFC President is undoubtedly one of mixed martial arts’ most prominent figures, turning the once-maligned sport into a global empire worth billions of dollars. Now, Dana White is determined to take the social-media-friendly sport of slap-fighting and turn it into another massive revenue stream. It’s a move that most MMA fans and fighters have disapproved of, calling the sport nothing more than “sanctioned brain trauma.” White has repeatedly brushed aside those critics, suggesting that Power Slap is safer than professional boxing.

In a recent interview with Nina-Marie Daniele, White once again reiterated that statement while also calling critics of his slap-fighting league either uneducated or just a bunch of haters.

“We spend the money to make sure we have two healthy people in there before the fight, but in slap, they take three to five slaps per event,” White said. “Fighters in boxing take three to four hundred punches a fight. It’s un-education or pure hate.”

It’s not the first time White has made that exact comparison to boxing and he’s not technically wrong. The problem is that White continues to neglect the fact that in boxing, fighters are allowed to protect themselves. In Power Slap, they stand there with hands behind their back and take a full-force slap that, more times than not, knocks them out cold.

Adding to the stigma of Power Slap is Dana White’s own history with domestic violence. Mere weeks before the first episode of Power Slap: Road to the Title was scheduled to air, White was caught on camera striking his wife during an altercation at a Cabo San Lucas nightclub on New Year’s Eve.

Not Every MMA Fighter Looks Down on Power Slap

Of course, not everyone involved in MMA absolutely loathes the so-called sport of slap-fighting. UFC light heavyweight standout Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith has professed his love for the brutality on more than one occasion while knockout artist Joaquin Buckley shared his positive experience while attending a live event.

“That’s the type of event that you have to watch live,” Buckley told InsideFighting. “Everybody watching these highlights on Instagram, watching reels, and watching on Rumble. You have to watch that thing live, and I can’t wait till they take that thing nationwide. Man, it’s going to be crazy.”

The first season of Power Slap aired on the TBS network, but after ratings continued to plummet week after week, the network parted ways with Dana White’s pet project, prompting him to take the product to Rumble, an online video-sharing platform introduced in 2013. Power Slap aired its second live event through the streaming service on May 24.