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First drug suspension handed out to Power Slap League

First drug suspension handed out to Power Slap League

The athlete has been handed a nine-month suspension.

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar

The first drug suspension has been handed out to a Power Slap League contestant since the introduction of the controversial fight promotion.

Dana White's new show has come under intense scrutiny for the nature of the competition, with neuroscientist and concussion expert Chris Nowinski slamming Power Slap League.

And the promotion has been issued its first ban by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC), who have handed out a nine-month suspension.

Light-heavyweight fighter Jon Kennedy, a 37-year-old slap and MMA fighter from Iowa, has tested positive for cocaine use in a drug test surrounding his knockout defeat to John Davis, according to MMA Junkie.

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Cocaine is classified as a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency and is banned in competition for all athletes.

He will face a spell on the sidelines and fined a total of $476, which includes $326 in legal fees.

Kennedy becomes the first competitor suspended by the NSAC after returning a positive drug test following a Power Slap League bout.

Dana White during a UFC press conference. Image: Alamy
Dana White during a UFC press conference. Image: Alamy

The UFC president's desire to get into the slap space has attracted plenty of criticism from former fighters and critics.

Fox Sports reported that former UFC star Josh Barnett said: "This type of event (I won’t doing to call it a sport) is the dumbest thing there is going. X-Arm seems like the Olympics in comparison. Why do people support this s**t?"

While podcast host Tony Marinaro called for the controversial sport to be banned.

He said, as per the outlet: "Enough already. This has to stop. Ban slap fighting."

Featured Image Credit: Alamy/Power Slap League

Topics: Dana White, UFC

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Darren Till. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

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@NasJabbar