Dana White has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Lingerie Fighting Championships (LFC) over its Power Spank promotion, demanding the parody name be dropped. The legal warning, issued by attorneys representing Schiaffo LLC in late October, came shortly after Power Spank launched earlier that month.
Power Spank features two scantily-clad women taking turns spanking each other's backsides until a winner is declared. The name is a parody of White's Power Slap promotion, which he launched in November 2022 and has attracted names such as Paige VanZant.
LFC CEO refuses to back down
Shaun Donnelly, CEO at LFC, has rejected the demand. He said: "We respect Power Slap and its founders, but we will not be bullied into abandoning protected speech. We will defend our right, and the right of every American, to free speech, and if that takes us to the Supreme Court, we are prepared to go."
A post on LFC's social media page also read: "Power Spank is owned by Lingerie Fighting Championships, and parody is protected speech under the First Amendment. We're not backing down."
Safety concerns over Power Slap
Power Slap has faced backlash over its safety. When asked about the concerns, White said: "The bottom line is, in a boxing match, guys get hit with 300-400 punches in a fight. These guys are going to get hit with three slaps. For these morons to be talking all the s*** that they are about the athletic commission, the athletic commission did the right thing. So did we."
White added: "We run right toward regulation, regulate the sport to make sure it's safe for everybody - because a lot of people are going to get involved in this just like they did MMA. What you want is you want to make sure there's clear cut set rules, people have to take the proper medicals before, during, and after the fight to keep the thing safe. It should be regulated and Nevada did the right thing. I applaud them and that's why they're the most respected athletic commission in the world."
The legal dispute remains unresolved, with LFC indicating it will fight the cease-and-desist letter.
