Ever since the global mainstream recognition of the organization he runs, UFC President Dana White has been trying his hand at ventures other than MMA to expand his reach, influence, and audience. Out of nowhere in 2022, White announced a new ‘fighting promotion’ named Power Slap League. Entering 2025, Power Slap League has gathered a huge 22 million followers across social media platforms and generated mixed reactions from many personalities across the combat sports world.
One such reaction came from a rather close friend of White, the highly respected commentator of the UFC and the host of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Joe Rogan himself. On his 166th edition of the JRE podcast, Joe sat down with the former featherweight champion of the UFC, Ilia Topuria, and both discussed the importance of MMA in bringing discipline and focus into your life.
As he praised MMA fighters and their focus and determination, he contrastingly spoke about the Power Slap League, saying it does not involve strategy and intelligence and has suggested on multiple occasions that White should’ve gone forward with a kickboxing promotion instead.
While on his podcast, Rogan said, “When I was a kid, my martial arts instructor told me this, that I’ll never forget, and I say it all the time. Martial arts are a vehicle for developing your human potential. Through that struggle, through that difficult thing, you will learn how to be better at everything. That’s what I think life is about, and that’s why martial arts are so exciting to me. You know, people think, ‘Oh, you like violence, you like this.’ Like that’s not it. Like that’s why I don’t like slap fighting, I think it’s stupid.”
The UFC color commentator added, “You stand in front of each other smack each other in the head. I want to see a guy enter into a cage fully prepared with skills against another guy fully prepared with skills. I always describe martial arts, mixed martial arts in particular, as high-level problem solving with dire physical consequences.”
Joe Rogan says UFC and Dana White made a mistake with PowerSlap
“I think the UFC fcked up when they went with slap fighting. I’ve been telling them forever, ‘You guys should get into kickboxing’.
‘Kickboxing with MMA gloves in a cage would be giant”
(via JRE Podcast) pic.twitter.com/kifb1L166i
— Dovy (@DovySimuMMA) March 25, 2025
It is hard to disagree with Rogan on this point, as even the ‘La Leyenda’ agreed with him. Power Slap League’s only winning factor is dependent on one’s ability to withstand a strong slap, there is no room for skills and technicalities that make a fight competitive, and you endure brain damage as well. Whereas in MMA, every single step leads to a different outcome and exchange. Putting all this aside, you have to respect Joe for being so honest even after being so close to Dana White.
Yet this is not the first time Joe Rogan has criticized the Power Slap League. Let’s take a look at some other instances where Rogan could not stand his friend’s new promotion.
Joe Rogan’s ‘power-slaps’ on Dana White’s slap fighting promotion
Both Rogan and White have remained friends from the days when no one even knew about the UFC, long before power slap was even an idea. All across their history together, their friendship has stood strong through the test of time and they have come shining brighter each time. They have immeasurable love for each other, so much so that Rogan has it in his contract that if Dana leaves, Rogan will leave the UFC too.
Coming back to now, however, it seems Rogan cannot stand the ‘illogical’ straight-forward violence of the Power Slap League. Upon its foundation, Rogan was critical towards the promotion but when he was asked if this would affect his relationship with Dana White, he said: “I love Dana, and I would be a hypocrite if I said I wouldn’t watch this, because I will watch it – but this is not my cup of tea.”
Rogan has even attended one of these events after which his reaction was very short yet expected: “nuts.” Rogan’s criticism of the fighting style is not only based on the fact that he thinks it’s stupid. He’s been very vocal about the damage fighters take and in this case, there is no aspect other than damage, you cannot avoid the slaps and you have to withstand several of them. He has even labeled the sport “free brain damage.”
While Joe Rogan strongly feels that the Power Slap League will fall down to its inevitable failure, his constant reminders to the UFC CEO Dana White to launch a kickboxing promotion has surely made an impact for the future expansion projects of the American business giant. The UFC, with a bright future ahead, cannot forget they have always benefited from the legendary commentator and analyst’s honesty.
What do you think of Power Slap League? Do you agree with Joe Rogan about it being a sport that gives “free brain damage?” Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
The post Dana White’s $750M Business Venture Gets Called Out in Joe Rogan’s Honest Rant to Ilia Topuria appeared first on EssentiallySports.