Dana White embroiled in legal battle with ‘Power Spank’ competition… days after turning down Trump’s job offer

Power Slap, the controversial combat sport circuit founded and co-owned by UFC chief executive Dana White, has filed a cease-and-desist letter against a similar, but distinctly different form of blood sport.

Now, after receiving that notice from White’s attorneys, Power Spank has issued a statement defending competitive spanking as a parody of Power Slap.

‘We respect Power Slap and its founders, but we will not be bullied into abandoning protected speech,’ Shaun Donnelly, CEO of Power Spank’s parent company Lingerie Fighting Championships, said in a press release. ‘We will defend our right, and the right of every American, to free speech, and if that takes us to the Supreme Court, we are prepared to go.’

The premises of the two competitions are nearly identical. Competitors alternately exchange vicious blows until one is knocked out or surrenders. Crucially, neither sport allows participants to defend themselves or mitigate the impact they’re about to receive.

The main difference, as one can probably guess, is that Power Slap involves striking opponents across the face, whereas Power Spank focuses on competitors’ rear ends. Also, Power Spank has remained an exclusively female competition, with participants typically wearing skimpy lingerie.

Another distinction, according to Donnelly, is that Power Spank is a parody, making it protected speech under the First Amendment of the US Constitution. He also boasted that his sport comes without the risk of traumatic brain injury associated with Power Slap.

‘Power Spank is our answer: same energy, same theatrics, none of the brain damage,’ Donnelly said. ‘And let’s be honest, a spank is a lot more fun to watch than a slap.’

No lawsuits have been filed yet, but the Lingerie Fighting Championships plan to continue opening events with Power Spank competitions while the company evaluates the cease-and-desist letter with legal counsel. 

The Daily Mail has sought comment from Power Slap and UFC spokespeople. 

The brewing legal battle comes after White was briefly considered for the White House press secretary role, an offer President Donald Trump later claimed was made in jest.

On Saturday afternoon, Trump took to Truth Social to announce that ‘the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior’ had been offered the job of press secretary. He then added a personal plea: ‘Dana, please take the job!’

White then admitted on Saturday night that, in the wake of Trump’s bombshell offer, he was heading to Washington DC straight away.

Social media quickly descended into a frenzy as fans speculated whether White was genuinely about to accept the role offered by his longtime friend.

However, White has now lifted the lid on the saga, explaining he was primarily flying to the nation’s capital to secure the president’s signature on a trading card.

In an interview with TMZ, White explained that trading card company Topps created a special 1-of-1 collectible commemorating the UFC Freedom 250 event held on the White House South Lawn in June.