UFC boss Dana White hits back at neuroscientists who say his new Power Slap sport causes brain damage

He manages the world's biggest MMA warring title and is known for picking fights with reporters and his ain athletes. 

But UFC brag Dana White traded barbs with his astir improbable hostile yet this month: neuroscientists. 

The spat revolves astir his caller promotion Power Slap, a contention which sees 2 competitors slap each different crossed the look arsenic hard arsenic possible.

White was asked astir a survey from the University of Pittsburg that concluded three-quarters of contestants connected Power Slap displayed signs of a concussion.

When asked astir the analysis, White said sarcastically: 'Sounds legit.'

He added: 'They watched 1 occurrence of the show, cognize thing astir medicals oregon what we bash oregon immoderate of the studies we've done - sounds similar these emblematic doctors that look for attraction to me.'

White did not specify what 'medicals' oregon studies the Power Slap enactment has conducted. 

Dr Raj Lavadi, 1 of the researchers of the analysis, responded connected X, inviting Mr White for a treatment of the results. 

He tweeted: 'We admit that our survey was presented to @danawhite for his thoughts, but our conclusions were drawn aft watching "season 1 and main events 2 to 5," and not conscionable the "first episode." We would beryllium blessed to sermon this further.'

White is nary alien to backlash and has had to explicate distant aggregate controversaries implicit the years, including astir his narration with erstwhile President Donald Trump and a carnal altercation helium got into with his wife. 

And earlier this year, helium came nether occurrence for defending a UFC fighter's 'freedom of speech' successful making anti-LGBTQ+ comments. 

White has besides been criticized for however helium pays his UFC fighters. The UFC enforcement told GQ helium thinks boxers are overpaid and that UFC fighters are reasonably paid, but immoderate fighters accidental different and person filed suit against White and the UFC. 

He said: 'Boxing has perfectly been destroyed due to the fact that of wealth and each the things that spell on. It's ne'er gonna hap portion I'm here. Believe me, these guys get paid what they're expected to get paid. 

'They devour what they kill. They get a percent of the pay-per-view buys. And the wealth is dispersed retired amongst each the fighters.'

White archetypal announced Power Slap successful precocious 2022, saying astatine a property league helium had watched slapping videos connected societal media and thought it would marque large TV. 

Male and pistillate competitors from crossed the globe question to Nevada, wherever the state's Athletic Commission regulates the league, and are divided into value groups. 

Competitors basal crossed from each different and upwind up to present an open-handed slap crossed their opponent's cheek. 

There are 3 rounds, each earning a people from judges, and the slapper with the highest people is declared the winner. 

In a promo video for the competition, White called Power Slapping 'the eventual measurement of toughness.' 

UFC main concern serviceman Hunter Campbell told ESPN in October 2022: 'After investigating it, it became wide to america that there's monolithic imaginable present arsenic a sport, not dissimilar the aboriginal years of the UFC.

'It made each the consciousness successful the satellite to spell toward regularisation earlier the sport's commencing, for each the evident reasons - No. 1, the wellness and information of the competitors.'

And White said league organizers and athletes were taking information concerns seriously.

Despite this, doctors raised concerns earlier competitions adjacent started. 

Neurologist Dr Nitin Agarwal, 1 of the researchers connected the caller analysis, told The Washington Post successful 2022: 'When it comes to the carnal facet of the martial arts, information and defence are primary. By its virtue, slap boxing is an violative sport. There is nary defense.

'You can’t usage your enarthrosis to support you, you can’t usage your hands to protect, you can’t adjacent crook your caput to soften the stroke oregon power wherever the stroke is going to beryllium placed. So that’s precise worrisome.'

In their archetypal analysis, the University of Pittsburg neurologists watched video footage of 139 matches - which dwell of aggregate rounds of slaps against the aforesaid opponent. These included 56 contestants and 333 idiosyncratic slaps. 

Among the contestants, 44 - oregon 79 percent - displayed at slightest 1 motion of a concussion. 

A concussion is a benignant of traumatic encephalon wounded (TBI) that occurs erstwhile the encephalon moves oregon twists rapidly wrong the skull.

The wounded tin beryllium caused by interaction to the head, oregon a deed to the assemblage that causes the caput to determination backmost and forth. 

Symptoms see ringing successful the ears, nausea, vomiting, blurry vision, fatigue, headache, confusion, amnesia, dizziness and nonaccomplishment of consciousness.

In 72 matches - 52 percent - and successful 97 idiosyncratic slaps - 29 percent - competitors displayed astatine slightest 1 motion of a concussion, including unsteadiness, blank oregon vacant stares and nonaccomplishment of consciousness. 

The astir predominant signs observed successful slappers were trouble standing, clumsiness oregon wobbly legs - seen successful 68 slaps and 54 matches. 

This was followed by blank oregon vacant looks, observed successful 48 and 45 slaps and matches, respectively; delays successful returning to a lasting presumption (34 and 33, respectively); and nonaccomplishment of responsiveness and/or consciousness (15 successful some instances). 

In 11 slaps and sequences, those deed displayed signs of a seizure, including stiffness oregon hostility successful the limbs. 

The researchers concluded 'that slap warring whitethorn induce traumatic encephalon wounded successful contestants, with imaginable for semipermanent consequences.'

They continued: 'The hazard is further augmented fixed that the contestants indispensable basal defenseless, allowing their opponents to execute implicit and precise interaction with their heads during each violative blow.'

A concussion tin effect encephalon function, including concentration, balance, temper and sleep. 

People whitethorn acquisition a hold successful centrifugal oregon cognitive function, slurred code and a dazed appearance, the Mayo Clinic reports. 

Days later, idiosyncratic with a concussion whitethorn acquisition representation problems, property changes and accrued irritability, changes successful sensation and smell, occupation sleeping and sensitivity to airy and noise. 

When radical grounds these symptoms, they should instantly question aesculapian assistance by visiting their doc oregon the hospital. 

And repeated concussions tin origin encephalon swelling, bleeding and adjacent death. 

The researchers added: 'Slap warring whitethorn beryllium a much grievous combat athletics than antecedently assumed, and strategies to forestall neurological demise among its participants should beryllium pursued.'