Dana White has a knack for understanding and delivering what combat sports fans want and that is perhaps the single biggest reason that the sport of MMA is as popular as it is today. This business acumen is also what led him to start Power Slap, a sport where people try to slap the soul out of each other. Or, failing that, knock the other person out by giving them such a severe concussion and brain injury that their brain decides to shut down momentarily.

As fight fans are well aware, getting concussed for any extended (or even not so extended) period is what leads to CTE, which, slowly but surely essentially turns a person’s brain to mush. And that is exactly why many medical researchers and neuroscientists are opposed to Power Slap since the sport, more than any other sport, puts participants at risk of CTE.

But Dana White is having none of it. Speaking to ‘TIME’ magazine, the Power Slap founder rubbished these concerns. While he did not dismiss the inherent risks of slap fighting (how could he when the evidence is so clear), he did point out that many sports, like fighting and football, also have the same risks.

He then made the case that however dangerous Power Slap might be, “as a grown adult living in America, you have the right to choose what you want to do.” The UFC CEO also said that he spends “all the money that I possibly can to take as much risk out of it.”

To really drive the point home, he claimed that since he “used to box” as a young man, his brain too, had been permanently damaged. But, despite this, he wouldn’t change anything because he chose to box knowing all the risks.

“I went in and I did one of those brain studies. I have black spots all over my brain from what I did. I wouldn’t take one back one punch… because I loved it that much,” he said. The UFC CEO later even used the example of his own daughter.

Dana White claims he would allow his daughter to become a fighter if she wanted

Dana White felt that while all the medical professionals may be right about the CTE risks present in Power Slap, he felt they had no right to moralize against it since ‘passionate’ athletes were willing, of their own volition, to do it knowing full well the long-term risk they are putting their brains under.

“And the doctors all talk about, “Somebody could die”—I got news for all the doctors. We’re all gonna die. How do you want to live your life? What do you love and what are you passionate about?” an impassioned White asked rhetorically.

The UFC CEO went even further and cited his daughter to illustrate the point of how much he really believes in people being able to choose to do incredibly dangerous sports.

“People always ask me, what if your daughter wanted to fight? If she really loved it, am I going to tell her no?” he said. It might also be interesting to note that the UFC CEO didn’t say he would be willing to let his daughter partake in Power Slap but used the example of fighting, which is a far less dangerous sport (in terms of long-term brain damage) than straight-out slap fighting.

This is strange since the latter is what was being discussed in the interview, and makes one wonder if the UFC CEO would be as willing if his daughter to be Power Slap-ed. What are your thoughts on Dana White’s passionate defense of Power Slap?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.