Dana White’s Slap League Debut Tanks Despite Major Push From AEW

Dana White, the president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, didn’t appear to enjoy himself too much over the new year. Beginning in 2023, White was more frequently featured in the news than ever before. White is receiving a lot of media attention from his viral video where he and his wife slapped each other. Further, White’s new Power Slap League has not received support from combat fans. The UFC president is at the center of controversy because his new show, ‘Power Slap: Road to the Title’, utterly failed to engage viewers. But it’s not just about the limelight; many MMA stars have openly stated that they do not think the ‘slapping sport’ has much promise.

Dana White: His Slap League has not impressed the masses

Finally, on January 18th, on TBS, the UFC president’s ‘Power Slap: Road to the Title’ premiere aired. The first episode of the program failed to hold viewers’ attention and had a very low viewership. With only 295,000 views per episode on average, The Power Slap fell to the 45th spot on the cable charts with a 0.10 rating. The program was broadcast shortly after the AEW Dynamite.

As reported by ‘BloodyElbow, the Dynamite’s had a spectacular day as the episode received 969,000 views, making it the most-watched one since October 26. With a 0.31 rating in the 18-49 demographic, Dynamite placed third in the cable ratings. Although it is down 6.1% from the prior week, this is Dynamite’s second-highest demo rating since December 14. On the cable charts, the program only fell behind two NBA games on ESPN.

Many believe that it is White’s own words that backfired him. In a recent interview, the UFC president said, “In slap, they take 3-5 slaps per event. Fighters in boxing take 300-400 punches a fight. And guess what? You know, what my answer to that is? If you don’t f***ing like it, don’t watch it.” White added, “Exactly! Nobody’s asking you to watch this! Oh, you’re disgusted by it? Watch The Voice.”

The future of the Power Slap League

Earlier it was decided that Dana White’s Power Slap League would debut on January 11. The program had to be postponed to January 18th after the video of Dana White slapping his wife caught millions of attention. The event took place a few days prior to the Power Slap League’s debut. On social media, many discussed the situation’s irony and how TBS was compelled to postpone the broadcast.

READ MORE: Finally Out! Major Change in Dana White’s Power Slap League After Viral Incident With Wife

The president of the UFC had a lot of confidence in the power slap league. He was influenced by popular slapping videos. As these videos quickly spread across social media platforms among various groups, millions of people were watching them. Before finally disclosing the location of the show’s TBS broadcast, White spent a considerable amount of time setting the rules and regulations for the new league. The show clearly didn’t get off to a fantastic start; fans now have to wait and see what it has to offer and whether it will succeed or fail in the future.

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