Slap fighting is taking social media and the internet by storm. Friday, that storm arrives in New Orleans.
Power Slap is the world’s premier slap fighting organization, developed by Dana White in partnership with UFC.
New Orleans will host the first event in the US outside of its regular Las Vegas residence as Power Slap 14: The Bell vs Mena will take place at the Xavier University Convocation Center this Friday.
Power Slap President, Frank Lamicella, is excited to bring Power Slap on the road. “This is an incredibly fun event. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before live.”
The rules of Power Slap are pretty simple. It’s like the UFC, where there are a total of three rounds. Each “striker” will get three attempts to knock out their opponent with an open-palmed slap to the face. If neither striker is defeated by knockout, the match is decided by a judge’s decision.
There are critics and skeptics of the sport about the safety and brutality of it. But just like boxing, MMA, or any other combat sports based in Louisiana, it’s regulated by the Louisiana State Boxing and Wrestling Commission. Safety is their number one priority, with doctors and medical staff always on staff, just like any sport, you would see from high school football to NFL or NBA games.
The one thing you can be promised is entertainment.
The shock value alone is worth the price of admission. What started out as a reality show based out of the UFC Apex expanded to larger audiences at Vegas casinos, venues, and two events in the Middle East (Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia).
The idea of Power Slap started from YouTube videos from Russia, says Lamicella. “We started watching videos out of Russia and Poland 5-6 years ago, and they were doing 300 million views. Credit to Dana White, he saw how explosive the content was and said, "let's do this the right way and put the power of the UFC machine behind it.”
But what’s made Power Slap grow so much in its three-year run is its social media presence. Influencers and celebrities can be seen ringside from Tom Brady, Travis Scott, Charles Barkley, Pat McAfee, and Louisiana’s own Theo Von. The power of the internet has created over 17 billion views across all of its social media platforms.
“We’re hosting the afterparty at Caesars New Orleans," Lamicella continues. "We have a gambling fun afterparty. We’ll have 300 celebrities, influencers, or content creators in the crowd, and they all look forward to the afterparty at these events.”
The Power Slap 14 card will feature two title matches, including the heavyweight championship between Damien Dibbell and Wes Mena. Dibbell has yet to lose during his time in Power Slap and hopes to defend his belt for the fourth time.
The other championship match is between lightweight champion Robert Trujillo and his challenger, Dakota McGregor. This is a rematch from Power Slap 12 when Trujillo won the belt in the first lightweight championship match.
Other matches that should come with fireworks include Austin Turpin vs Vern Cathey, Nate Burnard vs Aaron Turner, and former welterweight champion Emmanuel Muniz vs Brandon Rhodes in a middleweight match. All in all, there will be a total of eight matches on the card.
The event starts at 8 pm with doors opening at 6:45 pm on Friday night. More information on tickets and the promotion can be found on their website.