Power Slap boss explains how “there is definitely defense” in the fight

Power Slap president Frank Lamicella believes there is defense in the slap fight.

Once Dana White explained the rules of Power Slap, many were critical of it saying there was no defense, as the fighters couldn’t move their heads.

Yet, Lamicella spoke to John Mogan of MMA Underground and explained how there is defense in the slap fights, he also believes it is a sport.

Is @powerslapleague really a sport if there is no defense from strikes? Power Slap boss Frank Lamicella says yes.

"There is definitely defense. There is training the head, neck, shoulder muscles, and our sports science and sports data that we put out will start to support that." pic.twitter.com/jn6Utq92uA

— John Morgan (@JohnMorgan_MMA) January 24, 2023

“You will start seeing that on the episodes where they train technique, workout in the gym. So, listen, I think what you saw on episode one was just the surface,” Power Slap president Lamicella said. “What will you continue to see is even more improvement in these athletes and more improvement in the way the matches are run. On the no defense, I mean, there’s no evasive defense. If your definition of defense is only evasion, then that’s obviously got some element of truth to it. However, again, talking to these guys, there’s definitely defense.

“There is training the head, neck, shoulder muscles, and our sports science and sports data that we put out will start to support that,” Lamicella continued about defense in Power Slap. “Learning how tense to make the muscles, how tense to clench the jaw, all of that matters. Learning to roll with the slap but not committing a flinching foul (matters). So it’s really a lot of timing. When do you close your eyes? Do you leave your eyes open the whole time? There are elements (of defense). On the striker’s side, back to the health and safety point, part of the rules were to limit force where we can.”

Given the fact the fighters can’t move away from the strike seems like there is no defense, but the Power Slap boss believes there are ways to defend. He also believes it isn’t as bad due to the fact the rules limit pivoting and having to keep both feet down so the strikers can’t land as hard as punches do.

What do you make of Frank Lamicella’s explanation of defense in Power Slap?