Can we live in a world where both slapping and spanking combat sports exist? I’d like to believe so. It appears that for both to live in harmony there’s going to be a battle between the two organizations in court first.
The apparent upcoming court battle isn’t over the right of there to be slapping and spanking events, it reportedly has to do with the name. Power Slap, co-owned by UFC’s Dana White, would like Power Spank to stop using that name.
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Anthony Hintz and Russell Rivero face off during Power Slap 2 Media Day at UFC Apex on May 22, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nev. (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
According to MMA Junkie, a cease and desist letter was sent to the Lingerie Fighting Championships by the Power Slap attorneys after the LFC debuted Power Spank during an event in Florida last month.
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The Power Spank portion of the event featured a butt-slapping competition between scantily-clad women. The LFC called Power Spank a parody that is protected speech under the First Amendment in response to the cease and desist letter.
Fighter Feather “The Hammer” Hadden is escorted to the cage during “Lingerie Fighting Championships 20: A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., on Aug. 8, 2015. (Getty Images)
Shaun Donnelly, the CEO of LFC, said in a statement that they won’t be bullied into backing down, reports MMA Junkie:
“We respect Power Slap and its founders, but we will not be bullied into abandoning protected speech. We will defend our right, and the right of every American, to free speech, and if that takes us to the Supreme Court, we are prepared to go.”
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Wesley “All the Smoke” Drain slaps John “The Machine” Davis in a five-round bout at UFC Apex for Power Slap 2 in Las Vegas on May 24, 2023. (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Power Slap parody was launched, according to Donnelly, in response to one of the LFC fighters being injured while competing.
“We watched one of our fighters get seriously hurt (at Power Slap) …” Donnelly alleged. “Power Spank is our answer: same energy, same theatrics, none of the brain damage. And let’s be honest, a spank is a lot more fun to watch than a slap.”
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The butt-slapping parody isn’t just a gimmick. Donnelly claims that “it’s a statement. Combat sports can be bold and outrageous without being reckless. Power Spank proves you can still pack a house without packing an ambulance.”