Eight months into 2025, Dana White and the UFC are already counting down to 2026. With just over four months left in the year, the 56-year-old announced their new blockbuster broadcast agreement—$1.1 billion per year for seven years, totaling $7.7 billion—with Paramount. The deal will see 13 numbered UFC events and 30 Fight Nights, totaling 43 annual UFC live events, air exclusively on Paramount+, with select cards simulcast on CBS. But one piece of the puzzle was missing from the announcement.

Dana White’s Contender Series! As it stands, the show has no permanent home, with the possibility that it could remain at ESPN. Either way, this shift will change how fans consume UFC forever, effectively dismantling the pay-per-view model. Starting in 2026, Paramount+ subscribers will be able to watch UFC events for just $12.99 a month, which is part of their monthly subscription. Amid the excitement, rumors have blurred into facts—as some roped in Dana White-owned Power Slap into the conversation.

Did Paramount explicitly ask Dana White for Power Slap’s exclusion from the deal? 

“No, no, no… which is even crazier. Power Slap is not involved in this,” Dana White told TMZ Sports earlier today when asked about the slap-fighting league being part of UFC’s $7.7 billion agreement with Paramount. “Power Slap got its own deal,” he added—a remark that sparked confusion online, with some assuming White meant Paramount had paid an additional $1 billion for the slap-fighting event’s exclusion from the deal.

MMA pages on X, such as Casual MMA, fueled the misunderstanding, posting, “Paramount+ paid the UFC an extra billion dollars to NOT include Power Slap in the deal.” The claim spread quickly, but it wasn’t accurate. What White actually meant was that Power Slap is in no way, shape, or form part of the Paramount agreement. Power Slap is doing its own thing, and it’s a different entity from the UFC, even though White leads them both.

As for the UFC deal itself, Paramount will pay less than $1.1 billion in the early years due to a weighted structure—meaning the broadcaster will pay more than $1.1 billion annually in the later years to balance out the total. Regardless, this begs the question: who broadcasts Power Slap now?

How to watch Power Slap? 

Backed by significant investments from the Fertitta brothers, Lorenzo and Frank, and others, Dana White launched Power Slap in 2022. Sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the sport is exactly what its name implies—two competitors taking turns slapping each other. Victories come by knockout, technical knockout, or via judges’ decision using a 10-point scoring system. 

The events previously aired on TBS in the United States for its first season in 2023, with international broadcasts on Rumble. However, TBS canceled the show because of low ratings, so Power Slap transitioned to Rumble entirely to air its first 11 events. Now, the events air on YouTube absolutely free of cost. 

Having said that, it appears Power Slap won’t be part of UFC’s deal with Paramount, but not because they asked UFC to exclude it, but because it’s a different entity. Do you think Dana White could bring Power Slap to Paramount or a similar platform?