Power Slap Competitions as a Novel Mechanism of Traumatic Injury

Professional Power Slap fighting has been an official Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) sport since January of 2023. Competitors both deliver and sustain repeated open-hand slaps to the face, often resulting in knockouts (KOs). The sport is growing in popularity, but there is currently no medical literature describing Power Slap fighting and the unique traumatic injuries it can precipitate. Power Slap fighting is a novel mechanism of injury, which has a different set of considerations than other UFC sports. This is the first documented case of a patient presenting after an unofficial and unsanctioned bout of Power Slap fighting and the traumatic craniofacial sequelae that befell him. He presented to the emergency department (ED) in significant pain with trismus and dental trauma requiring urgent surgical management. His course was complicated by required revision surgery and likely permanent nerve damage. His case and the lessons learned by those participating in his care are useful to future ED clinicians caring for their own Power Slap patients.