The world of combat sports is full of carnival offshoot iterations. Longtime fans will remember things like UCMMA’s Ultimate Ball, Shock Fights, and that new Russian promotion that has guys fighting on shipping containers suspended over a lake. The possible new ways for dudes to wreck each other in hand-to-hand combat is practically never-ending.
One of these circus grade spectacles has made a surprising splash, however, and seems as though it could have a lot more long-term interest than the average bit of ‘freak fight’ promotion. Originating in that constant climate of combat creativity that is Russia, slap fighting has become something of a viral sensation, pitting the biggest and beefiest of men in a battle of nerve and open handed fisticuffs.
The craze has even gotten popular enough that it seems UFC president Dana White is looking to break into the market. And he’s doing it with some very familiar faces around him. MMA Junkie reports that Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta are among several longtime UFC associates operating Schiaffo LLC, a startup that hopes to bring this surging fight sport to the Sin City. That group also includes UFC COO Ike Epstein and TUF producer Craig Piligian.
While no official announcement of this new business venture has been made, White recently took to Instagram with a video teasing “the BIGGEST SLAP competition ever done!”
It’s under those circumstances, apparently, that the Nevada Athletic Commission is set to discuss the legal status of and regulation of slap fighting in the state, as part of their upcoming October meeting. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more details as they become available.