LAS VEGAS–What was once viewed as perhaps a viral oddity is now a regulated sport in the state of Nevada.
On Tuesday, the Nevada State Athletic Commission unanimously approved a proposal that deemed slap fighting–where two athletes stand at arm’s length and take turns smacking each other in the face–does qualify as unarmed combat as defined by the state’s bylaws and therefore falls under the commission’s oversight.
UFC CBO Hunter Campbell spoke to the commission on behalf of Schiaffo, LLC, the group that spearheaded the movement to get the contests regulated in advance of hosting televised contests in the state.
“We’ve spent the last year sort of beta-testing this in a controlled environment to really test and see sort of the dynamic of how this would function as an actual league and real sport,” Campbell said. “What we’ve found is that this is actually a skill sport–that the participants that are at a high level in this are skilled athletes. They train. They’re in good shape. They take it seriously, not dissimilar with what you see with MMA and boxing.”
Campbell is a primary owner in the new venture–tentatively titled Power Slap–along with UFC president Dana White, former UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta, “The Ultimate Fighter” producer Craig Piligian and others.
Test events were held earlier this year in Las Vegas, both behind closed doors and with invited guests, with the organization and commission working hand-in-hand to develop formal rules and regulations for a sport that to this point has been contested in much less restrictive environments both domestically and abroad.
Campbell said the safety of the athletes involved was of primary concern.
“With any sort of combat when you’re taking shots to the head, to have it done in a way where there isn’t medical procedures and regulations put around it is an unsafe environment,” Campbell said. “The second issue is integrity of the sport. The other thing that we’ve seen is, you’ve seen instances where a guy might be 400 pounds, and he’s slapping a guy who’s 130 pounds, and that’s also not what we’re looking to do.”
With the NSAC approving regulation, athletes will be subjected to a full battery of pre-fight medical testing, with events featuring active medical staff onsite, as well.
NSAC executive director Jeff Mullen was in favor of the decision and cited the need to prevent unregulated matchups in the state.
“I think this sport needs to be regulated, and if we don’t regulate it, it will be taking place everywhere all over town without any kind of regulations, without any kind of safety standard,” Mullen said. “By regulating this, we can make sure that there’s doctors there, ambulances there, that the fighters have physicals, they have eye exams, they have MRIs and MRAs, and if we don’t regulate it, we’re going to have people competing right off a bar stool, and it’s going to be a dangerous situation. I think for the health and safety of our constituents, I think we have to do that.”
Tuesday’s proposal passed unanimously, and Campbell said the first event will likely take place at the UFC Apex, perhaps even before the end of the year. The organization did not reveal broadcast plans but said they are currently in discussions with a “major network.”
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