‘So sad’: Fight world ‘ashamed’ by sickening knockout

Fighters, doctors and fans have reacted furiously to a “cruel” knockout that they all felt went way too far.

Some of these knockouts are hard to watch. Picture: Twitter

Fighters have expressed their concerns after watching the first episode of Dana White’s Power Slap League.

The controversial promotion, which was launched by the UFC’s president, kicked off in America this week – despite a slew of concerns over the safety of combatants.

And those concerns multiplied 10-fold after the first episode of the brutal sport was televised.

Sheena Bathory’s brutal and viral knockout of opponent Kortney Olson – who performed a forward roll seconds after being flattened – frightened viewers, who took to Twitter to voice their fears.

“This is so sad,” noted concussion expert Dr Chris Nowinski wrote. “Note the fencing posture with the first brain injury. He may never be the same. Dana White and TBS should be ashamed. Pure exploitation. What’s next, ‘Who can survive a stabbing?’”

“What is this nonsense? How is this legal?” wrote physician Dr Mauricio Gonzalez.

This is so sad. Note the fencing posture with the first brain injury. He may never be the same. @danawhite & @TBSNetwork should be ashamed. Pure exploitation. What's next, "Who can survive a stabbing"? pic.twitter.com/jTENpUmJDd

— Chris Nowinski, Ph.D. (@ChrisNowinski1) January 19, 2023

Former UFC fighter Al Iaquinta also dubbed the footage “sad” while Olympic boxer Anthony Fowler said it was “proper cruel”.

“People clearly skint trying to do whatever they can to do earn money and Dana White

using them to have a good laugh at,” Fowler added.

“In MMA, boxing or any other combat sport a fight is stopped when a fighter ‘can’t intelligently defend themselves’. These people aren’t allowed to intelligently defend themselves from the start. It’s in the rules,” tweeted MMA reporter Danny Segura.

The look on Dana White's face says it all. Picture: Twitter

Fans were also in dismay.

One tweeted: “Holy f**k, this is the most dangerous sport I have ever seen.”

Another said: “That’s damaging nerves.”

And another said: “Someone is going to actually die on this show and they’re just okay with it.”

But perhaps the most concerning moment of the night was the momentary memory loss suffered by Chris Kennedy.

The power of Chris Thomas is 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋 💥 #PowerSlappic.twitter.com/WImMp8Y5Bd

— Power Slap Official (@powerslapleague) January 20, 2023

Kennedy was knocked out cold by a hellacious slap from Chris Thomas, in the tweet above, and couldn’t remember where he was when he came to.

The referee told a badly dazed Kennedy: “You can sit on your butt right now.

“The doctor is next to you okay you got knocked out.”

A clearly concussed Kennedy began slurring his words after asking: “Got knocked out doing what? Was I fighting?”

The knockout of Kennedy – who was unconscious for a short period of time – didn’t sit well with many.

"Note the fencing posture," Chris Nowinski lamented about this knockout.

One viewer tweeted: “Power Slap is the most braindead, dangerous garbage-tier of a show that I’ve ever seen.”

Another said: “Dana White’s slap league …. all the power, no defence, and all of the brain trauma. Someone is gonna die in this.”

— with The Sun

Originally published as ‘So sad’: Fight world ‘ashamed’ by sickening knockout