Slap-fighter Jewel Scott has admitted his life will be on the line when he takes part in Dana White's new Power Slap League.
Scott, 38, has competed as a professional in boxing and MMA but is now trying his hand in UFC president White's controversial slap-fighting organisation. The American disagrees with the consensus surrounding the safety of the competition and thinks it's just as dangerous as the previous combat sports he's competed in.
“I’m kind of thinking along the same lines with the thought in the front of my mind that I may get killed here, or I may die here,” Scott told Complex. “So I’m willing to do whatever I have to do to not only survive, but win and be victorious. Combat for money is what I do. It wouldn’t have mattered what it was, give me the rules and let’s play."
What are your thoughts on the UFC's new slap-fighting league? Let us know in the comments section below
Several of the contestants on Power Slap have been brutally knocked out during their matches, with brain doctor Chris Nowinski insisting one contestant "may never be the same" after suffering short-term memory loss following a contest. UFC veteran Eric Spicely revealed he was offered a contract that would guarantee him just $2,000 to compete in the league, which is five times less than the lowest UFC purse.
Boxer Ryan Garcia recently called for a ban on Power Slap and labelled it a "horrible idea", but Scott has responded to his criticism by threatening to "slap his ass". The 38-year-old has insisted that he studied the rules of Power Slap for a year before deciding to sign up for the league. Scott cited the number of strikes that boxers and MMA fighters take to the head compared to slap-fighting whilst defending its safety.
"I studied this for maybe a year solid, the game, the actual guys who were doing it for years now. I studied all of those guys, I know the promoters of the biggest league besides ours. There’s not many injuries that go on, there’s not many guys with CTE. There is nothing proven harmful about all this in all of the years of previous existence," Scott added.
"Boxing on the other hand is a whole different story. Multiple people have died in boxing, you see probably 600-700 punches to the head every single fight. So the naysayers in MMA, I can’t side with them because I was around when MMA went through the same exact road. So for anyone from another combat sport to day this is barbaric, they are being ridiculous and just want to create some kind of controversy."
