Award-winning author, investigative journalist, DJ, and custodian of the art estate belonging to his pioneering grandmother, Menhat Helmy.
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And: https://power-plays.captivate.fm/listen?mc_cid=8b867e73c0
Karim Zidan
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NYT coverage of this has been passive, vapid and lacking any depth.
I've been on this beat for 12 years while NYT doesn't even cover MMA.
If you want to understand how this event came to be, why it's happening, & what it means moving forward, subscribe to Sportrs Politika: www.sportspolitika.news
An angle that has been all-but-ignored by the mainstream press salivating over the UFC White House event has been the rise of neo-Nazi fight clubs using MMA to radicalize disaffected young men.
An essential part of the story: www.sportspolitika.news/p/neo-nazi-a...
And then there's everyone's favourite macho dumbass, Joe Rogan. Despite mainstream media’s attempts to frame Rogan as a critic of Trump, the reality is far less compelling—Rogan is a self-proclaimed “moron” whose opinions are never worth taking seriously
www.sportspolitika.news/p/joe-rogan-...
NYT certainly isn't reporting on Ali Abdelaziz, the former NYPD & FBI informant-turned-MMA power broker backed by key MAGA loyalists, who is using his roster of fighters to push Trump’s federal takeover
In fact, I don't know anyone else who reported on this
www.sportspolitika.news/p/tinker-tra...
And if you want to understand how MMA became a hellish cesspool, you have to look to the forums that housed the sport's most loyal (and unhinged) fans.
Even Darryl Cooper, the podcaster accused of Nazi apologia, said he "cut his internet teeth" on MMA forums
www.sportspolitika.news/p/darryl-coo...
Hell, I even co-created a narrative podcast series in 2024 that examined the Trump-UFC relationship AND predicted his return to office with UFC's help. No one else was doing this.
NYT was too busy doing Dana White profiles at that time
www.sportspolitika.news/s/in-the-red...
Or this one on how Trump has used UFC appearances to burnish his image and drown out scandal. And as war with Iran drags on, he’s once again retreating to the roar of the octagon.
www.sportspolitika.news/p/trump-ufc-...
Or this story that isn't as clickbaity as moaning about the aesthetics of cagefighting at the White House: a deep dive into the UFC's latest sponsor, Anduril, and how it signals the UFC's role in Trump's ongoing reindustrialization of the U.S. military.
www.sportspolitika.news/p/ufc-white-...
Case in point, listen to my conversarion with @lukethomas.bsky.social, where we assess whether the White House event is the culmination of the UFC-Trump project of the start of more formal integration in US politics www.sportspolitika.news/p/ufc-white-...
NYT coverage of this has been passive, vapid and lacking any depth.
I've been on this beat for 12 years while NYT doesn't even cover MMA.
If you want to understand how this event came to be, why it's happening, & what it means moving forward, subscribe to Sportrs Politika: www.sportspolitika.news
Karim Zidan
Karim Zidan
Founded by investigative journalist Karim Zidan, Sports Politika is a media venture at the intersection of sports, power and politics. Unfiltered news, investigative reporting, and unique perspectives...
Founded by investigative journalist Karim Zidan, Sports Politika is a media venture at the intersection of sports, power and politics. Unfiltered news, investigative reporting, and unique perspectives...
President Trump, who turned 80 today, will spend this evening hosting Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts on the South Lawn of the White House. Historians say the event, which was estimated to cost more than $60 million, is unprecedented. Follow live updates.
President Trump, who turned 80 today, will spend this evening hosting Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts on the South Lawn of the White House. Historians say the event, which was estimated to cost more than $60 million, is unprecedented. Follow live updates.
The New York Times
The New York Times
Despite mainstream media’s attempts to frame Joe Rogan as a critic of Trump, the reality is far less compelling—Rogan is a self-proclaimed “moron” whose opinions are never worth taking seriously.
A three-part audio series exploring the controversial alliance between Donald Trump and the UFC, and its profound impact on America's socio-political landscape. Created by Karim Zidan and Elie Bleier....
www.sportspolitika.news
Darryl Cooper, the podcaster spewing Nazi apologia, says he cut his internet teeth on MMA forums.It sounds odd—until you remember those same forums helped radicalize a generation of young men.
I've done a lot of media over the past few weeks about the UFC White House event. But I wanted to share this one with my favourite voice in MMA, Luke Thomas.
www.sportspolitika.news
Sports Politika has identified more than 130 neo-Nazi fight clubs around the world. Some of these fight clubs are rallying in support of Trump's policies, emboldened by his return.
For years, Trump has used UFC appearances to burnish his image and drown out scandal. Now, as war with Iran drags on with no end in sight, he’s once again retreating to the roar of the octagon.
Ali Abdelaziz, a former NYPD & FBI informant-turned-MMA power broker backed by key MAGA loyalists, is using his roster of fighters to push Trump’s federal takeover.
