OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a formal opinion late Thursday affirming the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission’s authority to regulate slap fighting, a relatively new phenomenon where opponents trade undefended open-hand slaps to the face. Such competitions have started to appear in Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma State Athletic Commission oversees rules and licenses for physical combat sports like wrestling and boxing. In a formal request by commission administrator Diana Fletcher, clarification is necessary on/as to whether slap fighting fell under the state’s definition of “combative sports” and, therefore, fell under the Commission’s jurisdiction.
Drummond wrote in the opinion that slap fighting meets the requirements of the definition of “combative sports” as outlined by the Oklahoma Athletic Commission Act.
“Slap fighting is ‘unarmed combat’ because contestants use only their hands to strike their opponent. The second element requires a ‘blow usually struck which may reasonably be expected to inflict injury.’ An undefended slap to the face qualifies. Though slap fighting differs from existing combat sports as defenders may not ‘defend’ against the slap, the definition of ‘combative sport’ contains no requirements about available methods to defend against blows,” state the opinion.
The Oklahoma Athletic Commission Act does not limit sports that qualify under the regulation, which Drummond noted indicates the Legislature’s intent to include a wide variety of fighting sports under the Commission’s purview.