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Is slap fighting legal in Nevada?

By Todd Butterworth
YES

In October 2022, slap fighting was brought under the regulatory oversight of the Nevada Athletic Commission. Slap fighting has two contestants stand at arm's length and take turns slapping each other in the face.

The contests have long occurred in unregulated environments domestically and abroad. The NAC decided they qualify as unarmed combat under Nevada law and fall under its jurisdiction. All Nevada slap fighting contests or exhibitions require NAC approval and must comply with regulatory requirements.

In November, the NAC approved a license for the Power Slap League and recently amended rules requiring contestants to deliver only open-handed blows and not to hit opponents below the chin.

In October 2021, a slap fighting contestant suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and later died after being knocked out four times during an event.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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