Power Slap in Saudi Arabia: Debutant suffers cheekbone fracture, five stitches; social media calls him ‘Lion Heart’

On October 31, Zhao Honggang had his face badly injured while competing in the World Slap Fighting Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photos of the Chinese athlete’s swollen eye quickly spread online, raising concerns about his condition. It was Zhao’s debut in the competition.

Power Slap, created by UFC President Dana White, is a contest where two competitors take turns slapping each other with maximum force.

According to his profile, Zhao is the first Asian athlete from China to sign with Power Slap. The 35-year-old is the ninth-generation inheritor of the traditional Qijiatong back-fist martial arts form.

While Zhao later clarified that he did not have a concussion after his dramatic knockout, he did suffer a minor fracture in his cheekbone. He required five stitches around his eye socket.

“I just had some stitches around my eye socket. The imaging examination showed that I did not have a cerebral concussion. I am fine now. Thank you for your support,” the South China Morning Post quoted Zhao as telling his fans on social media.

Zhao was facing Kazakhstan’s Mukhammed Amantayev. During the third round, a powerful slap sent him crashing to the ground in clear pain. Zhao later revealed on social media that hospital tests had confirmed there was no concussion. His eye remained severely bruised.

Power Slap CEO Frank Lamicella earlier said that Chinese athletes had great potential in the competition. He referred to them doing the “iron palm stuff”. They are known for bending an iron wrench with slaps from bare hands.

Many social media users believe the Chinese athlete lost the game because he followed the rules.

“Impact right on the carotid artery, is it legit?” asked one of them.

“Zhao lost the game but won the honour,” posted another.

Another wrote, “Please give Zhao a fairer match; the man deserved better. Hoping to see him again.”

One of them called Zhao “Lion Heart”.

First Indian at Power Slap

Jujhar Singh, also known as Tiger, earlier became the first Indian to win an international Power Slap title. It marked a landmark moment for Indian combat sports.

The 28-year-old athlete is from Chamkaur Sahib in Punjab’s Ropar district. He comes from a humble farming family in Karura village.

His journey began with wrestling and kabaddi in school. Then, he moved to Mohali for specialised training. He trained for over a year.

Jujhar claimed victory in his debut match at the Abu Dhabi event on October 24. He defeated Russian heavyweight Anatolii Galushka in a tough three-round contest.

Galushka controlled the early round with clean strikes. A fierce slap in round two left Singh with a cut near his right eye. Yet Singh refused to break.

Jujhar returned with sharp, controlled strikes in the final round. He forced a unanimous decision in his favour. He was seen doing bhangra after winning the competition.