UFC CEO Dana White claims a $3 million debt helped to enshrine Power Slap as the fastest-growing success of his career. While few people believed in Power Slap when the promotion first launched, White pushed forward and backed the project with millions of dollars alongside the Fertitta brothers.
The controversial slap-fighting promotion has since exploded globally. White now shared on Power Slap’s success, which now delivers massive online numbers and sponsorship success at a UFC-dwarfing in a recent conversation.
Dana White’s insider story of Power Slap’s rise
White recently opened up about the early investment and the strategy that helped Power Slap grow rapidly online. A video making rounds from a sports-themed X page has the sports mogul detailing how he and the Fertitta brothers put together a deal that birthed the sport’s remarkable rise.
“I called the Fertitta brothers and we all put up a million bucks, $3 million. Got the commission involved and turned it into a real sport.
“It does a billion views a month on social media, and it is a sponsorship home run. I invited all the influencers to come… Power Slap is the most successful thing I’ve ever been a part of in such a short amount of time. The first two years it had more sponsorship than the UFC did in 10 years. Power Slap is a beast.”
Power Slap launched under White’s leadership and quickly drew attention because of its unusual format. In the sport, fighters stand face-to-face and take turns delivering open-handed strikes without defending themselves.
Social media played the biggest role in the promotion’s rise. White focused heavily on viral reach rather than traditional sports marketing. That approach appears to have paid off. Power Slap now stands as one of the fastest-growing projects linked to White’s career. Whether fans love it or hate it, White’s $3 million bet seems to have paid off.
