Renowned neuroscientist Chris Nowinski delivered a grave cautionary message concerning the future of slap fighting, should the sport continue to be permitted. Slap fighting has recently gained significant attention in the United States, particularly with the premiere of the reality show "Power Slap" on TBS, attracting mainstream viewers on Wednesdays. Spearheaded by influential figures from the UFC, including President Dana White, Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell, and Counsel Frank Lamicella, "Power Slap" aims to transcend being a mere competition TV show and become a fully-fledged combat sports promotion. This ambitious endeavor has left boxing enthusiasts appalled, given the ferocious nature of slap fighting.

In contrast to boxing or MMA, slap fighting prohibits any form of defense, resulting in participants absorbing powerful open-handed strikes directly to the cheek. The consequences have been undeniably brutal. For instance, competitor Kortney Olson was left disoriented by a strike to the point where she unintentionally performed a somersault while attempting to regain her footing.

Chris Kennedy, a male participant, suffered such a severe knockout in slap fighting that he displayed the fencing posture, an instinctive protective stance indicating a serious injury, as noted by Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation.

"It was a curiosity when you saw it coming from Eastern European countries, and it was like, 'Oh, this will never happen here — we're too smart for this.' But then we found out that we're not," "There is a line in what's appropriate to be considered sport, and this shows us where this line is. And it's far over it," Nowinski said.

"Where the man has the fencing posture, and the woman who did the forward roll — they both suffered traumatic brain injuries," Nowinski said. "No question about it. When somebody has a traumatic brain injury — when they're knocked unconscious — their cortex goes offline. That's the more advanced part of their brain, and it's not functioning. A primitive brain response occurs where their arms go out in front of them, and we think it's maybe to protect them in a fall."

"So when you see arms and legs straight out and flexed, it's been called posturing, or, these days, the fencing response, because it looks like you're fencing with a sword with your arms straight up."It's definitely a sign of a significant brain injury."

According to Nowinski, brain injuries should not be taken lightly, as they are incredibly intricate and can have immediate or long-term effects on an individual's well-being.

Nowinski said organizers of slap fight events "are essentially taking advantage of the fact that we don't have the data for what happens to people in the sport yet, but I promise you if this were allowed to continue, it will be a nightmare."