Logan Paul sees a potential new avenue for MMA fighters looking to cross over to other sports with the latest venture he’s embarking on.
The YouTube star, and at times, a boxer, is on the heels of helping promote Slap Fighting Championship alongside movie star and former bodybuilding icon Arnold Schwarzenegger. The two are working together with Poland-based, slap-fighting promotion PunchDown to promote Saturday’s Slap Fighting Championship event, which makes its debut as a part of The Arnold Sports Festival at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.
The sport consists of two competitors standing across a small table hitting each other alternately on the cheek with an open hand, for a maximum of 3 blows per person. The win is decided by a KO or judges’ verdict.
Paul sees this new sport as a potential cross-over venture for MMA fighters.
“I absolutely do and with a lot less work to be honest,” Paul told MMA Junkie at Tuesday’s Slap Fighting Championship conference call. “I mean, yeah, guys can go to the gym and train five hours a day, learning 12 different disciplines in Mixed Martial Arts, but the slaps one, everyone knows how to do that.
“Everyone has been slapping their brothers, sisters, siblings, and cousins since they were three years old. Anyone can do that. I think it’s an easy way for MMA fighters, influencers, celebrities, anyone who has this online beef to settle it instantly without having to train for three or four months.
“You just go and slap the person you have the beef with or the dispute with and there’s an audience because there’s something entertaining. Arnold Schwarzenegger said it, you’re standing three feet across such a short distance to see who can hit harder and take the most hits. I don’t know, it might be crazy, but I just think there’s something here.”
Most notably former Pride FC fighter Wagner da Conceicao Martins, also known as “Zuluzinho,” has competed in slap fighting. The 42-year-old has competed in multiple events.
Saturday’s event will be streamed on Paul’s YouTube channel and Facebook. Paul assures Slap Fighting Championship is here to stay and he plans to do more work with the promotion in the future.
“This is not a one-and-done thing,” Paul said. “Personally, I use case studies of what is working and where attention is to direct where I put my energy.
“Slap fighting has proven to work in Poland and Russia and I think it’s pretty obvious that the sport is growing. As someone who’s always trying to be on the cutting edge of new discoveries, I don’t think this is a one-off at all. I think after we see the attention and retention that we get on Saturday, I think we’re definitely going to be back for more.”
Saturday’s Slap Fighting Championship is headlined by a super heavyweight title fight between Dawid Zalewski and Koa “Da Crazy Hawaiian” Viernes.
