Fighting Matters

Fighting Matters
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Fighting fascism and the far-right in combat sports like MMA and BJJ.

  1. vor 15 Std.

    The Graham Platner Problem

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan is joined by Jesse Walker of Rough Hands BJJ to talk about Graham Platner, the Maine Senate candidate whose campaign has come apart under a run of scandals: a Nazi-associated tattoo, credible sexual assault allegations, and more. They use his collapse to get at a harder question that runs through both politics and jiu-jitsu: why we keep excusing disqualifying behavior from people we want to believe in, and what it costs us when we do. ⸻ 👥 Featuring: - Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com - Jesse Walker — https://roughhandsbjj.com ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: - Who Graham Platner is and how his campaign fell apart - The Totenkopf tattoo and the "I didn't know what it meant" defense - AIPAC, the rise of antisemitism, and where criticism of Israel ends and conspiracy begins - Why we keep handing passes to people with disqualifying histories - "Due process trolls" and why a courtroom standard isn't the bar for who we associate with - How tolerating bad behavior normalizes it, and the Trump parallel - The same rot in jiu-jitsu: protecting bad actors because they win or teach well - Term limits, aging politicians, and elevating grassroots talent over big names ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Why Fighting Matters isn't a left-wing podcast 01:11 — Who is Graham Platner? 03:24 — The Totenkopf tattoo and the "I didn't know" defense 05:23 — A campaign in freefall 09:15 — AIPAC, antisemitism, and drawing the line 14:11 — Nazi tattoos are disqualifying, even accidental ones 16:38 — Two sets of rules and the Fetterman problem 20:00 — Purity tests vs. keeping your moral compass 24:10 — The jiu-jitsu parallel: bad teammates and PEDs 25:54 — Due process trolls 32:02 — Mamdani and elevating outsider talent 44:34 — Supporting bad actors in jiu-jitsu (Josh Saunders) 49:24 — Being good at jiu-jitsu is not a competitive edge 53:29 — Geriatric politicians and term limits 59:07 — Wrapping up: accountability in practice

    1 Std. 3 Min.

  2. vor 5 Tagen

    The 250th, ADCC, and Izaak Michell

    In this episode of the Fighting Matters podcast, Steve Kwan is joined by Jesse Walker of Rough Hands BJJ and Mike Mahaffey of Old Bastard BJJ on the eve of America's 250th Fourth of July. They open with whether there's anything left to celebrate and end up somewhere harder: the same instinct to look away that got the country here is alive in jiu-jitsu too. The clearest example is Izaak Michell, invited to ADCC while wanted in Texas on sexual assault warrants, and the string of accused and convicted men the sport keeps platforming anyway. 🔗 Links Mentioned: - The Find Out Podcast, "Ex-MAGA influencer explains why he abandoned Trump" — https://youtu.be/ylPlpgQygdU - Magic BJJ — https://magicbjj.com ⸻ 👥 Featuring: - Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com - Jesse Walker — https://roughhandsbjj.com - Mike Mahaffey — https://instagram.com/oldbastardbjj ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: - America's 250th and the state of the July 4th "celebration" - Rebuilding the country instead of defending the old institutions - The normalization that links national politics to jiu-jitsu - Izaak Michell, his ADCC invite, and the Texas arrest warrants - Josh Saunders, Nazi salutes, and the "keep it non-political" excuse - Why "innocent until proven guilty" doesn't settle the ethics - How the sport risks going radioactive the way MMA once did - Redemption tours, silence, and what speaking up actually does ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Big heads, Ace of Bass, and July 4th 02:40 — America's 250th: did the country even make it? 06:33 — Rebuilding the country, not restoring it 10:29 — Mask-off politics, the courts, and the truth 18:23 — How a MAGA influencer's fever broke 20:36 — Holding your nose, in politics and on the mats 24:10 — Who is Izaak Michell, and why ADCC invited him 30:01 — Josh Saunders and "keep it non-political" 35:34 — "Innocent until proven guilty" isn't a free pass 40:15 — What happened to MMA could happen to jiu-jitsu 44:47 — What will you tell your grandkids? 49:19 — No clean leagues left for ethical athletes 51:44 — The redemption tour: Tyson, McGregor, and ADCC 53:07 — What we can actually do about it 56:50 — Closing thoughts and where to find everyone

    58 Min.

  3. 27. Juni

    The Conor McGregor comeback is gross

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, co-hosts Jesse Walker and Mike Mahaffey take on Conor McGregor's UFC comeback and the media tour selling it: a man found civilly liable for sexual assault, platformed on Jimmy Fallon like none of it happened, with no apology and no amends. They get into what redemption actually requires, why comedians stopped holding power to account, and the jiu-jitsu community's own habit of looking the other way when the person on the podium has hurt people. ⸻ 🔗 Links Mentioned: - Old Bastard BJJ on Patreon — https://patreon.com/oldbastardbjj - Old Bastard BJJ on Instagram — https://instagram.com/oldbastardbjj ⸻ 👥 Featuring: - Jesse Walker — https://roughhandsbjj.com - Mike Mahaffey — https://magicbjj.com ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: - Conor McGregor's UFC comeback and the media tour behind it - Why the media keeps platforming people who have caused harm - What real redemption requires, and why owning the harm is the price of it - Whether some actions put someone past the point of a comeback - How late-night hosts and comedians stopped holding power to account - What your attention and your money actually endorse - The jiu-jitsu community's habit of platforming people it shouldn't ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Welcome and teeing up the topic 01:16 — McGregor's comeback, and how he got here 04:47 — Turning MMA trash talk up to eleven 08:25 — Pro wrestling, except the harm is real 10:27 — The fall and the Hollywood comeback 13:23 — Does anyone deserve a comeback? 15:27 — Redemption means owning the harm 20:43 — What Mike learned in vocational rehab 26:12 — Our court jesters are failing us 32:36 — When "comedy is back" means punching down 36:37 — No redemption, and whose pocket you fill 47:33 — The IBJJF problem, and being a thoughtful consumer 55:38 — Where to find Jesse and Mike

    57 Min.

  4. 19. Juni

    An honest UFC Freedom 250 critique

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan is joined by Jesse Walker of Rough Hands BJJ to talk about the fallout from UFC Freedom 250, the fight card staged on the White House lawn for America's 250th anniversary. Neither of them watched it, because the fights were never the issue. They get into the corruption, the crypto payouts, the comment aimed at Michelle Obama, and why "keeping politics out of fighting" was never a real argument once the President turned the country's 250th birthday into his own fight night. ⸻ 👥 Featuring: - Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com - Jesse Walker — https://roughhandsbjj.com ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: - Why UFC Freedom 250 was a problem even if the fights were good - The difference between promoting a sport and running a propaganda event - Crypto payouts and the "company store" comparison - The comment aimed at Michelle Obama, and why it was deliberate - Free speech absolutism as a dodge - The alleged Daniel Cormier and Eric Trump text exchange about fixed fights - The paradox of tolerance and why you can't platform extremists - What the UFC would have to do to win fans like Steve and Jesse back ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — What UFC Freedom 250 actually was 05:05 — A for-profit event on the people's lawn 09:10 — Defending the UFC as legitimate sport 14:48 — Propaganda, grift, and crypto payouts 16:40 — The Obama basketball tournament test 22:29 — Was it worth it for the UFC? 27:05 — MMA is an immigrant story 31:05 — The Michelle Obama comment was deliberate 41:26 — Free speech absolutism as moral cowardice 45:52 — The alleged Cormier and Eric Trump texts 51:54 — You can't break bread with extremists 59:33 — What would fix the UFC? 01:07:56 — Where to find Jesse Walker

    1 Std. 8 Min.

  5. 12. Juni

    The UFC Freedom 250 debacle

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, Jeff Shaw is joined by Jesse Walker, Mike Mahaffey, and Stephan Kesting to take apart UFC Freedom 250, the card being staged on the White House South Lawn on June 14th. Four martial artists who spent decades loving this sport walk through why an event at the people's house, held on the president's birthday and billed as a celebration of America's 250th, leaves them cold. They get into the spectacle, the money, the sportswashing angle, and the version of this card that could have meant something. ⸻ 🔗 Links Mentioned: - Old Bastard BJJ Pride Month Fundraiser — https://patreon.com/oldbastardbjj - Salus Center — https://www.saluscenter.org - Growing Veterans — https://growingveterans.org ⸻ 👥 Featuring: - Jeff Shaw — https://bellinghambjj.com - Jesse Walker — https://roughhandsbjj.com - Mike Mahaffey — https://instagram.com/oldbastardbjj - Stephan Kesting — https://grapplearts.com ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: - Why a UFC card at the White House reads as fascist spectacle - The June 14th birthday timing and the "America 250" cover story - The "keep politics out of sports" double standard - Empty seats, military tickets, and who foots the bill - Cage fights as diplomacy, and what sportswashing really is - Theodore Roosevelt, immigration, and the event this could have been - What MMA lost when it stopped being outsider art ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Introducing the panel 02:40 — Fascism, spectacle, and macho posturing 04:30 — A birthday dressed as an anniversary 07:05 — Theater and a regime that believes in nothing 10:16 — Dead enthusiasm and a tourism slump 14:09 — Empty seats, military tickets, and June heat 16:32 — Rogan ringside and bread and circuses 18:53 — Who pays, and who gets held accountable 25:41 — But Roosevelt did it too 30:06 — Cage fights as diplomacy and sportswashing 34:53 — How you'd do it right, and why they can't 40:13 — Can this work at the White House at all? 46:18 — Outsider art and what's been lost

    52 Min.

  6. 8. Juni

    Anti-Trans Hate Is a UFC Marketing Strategy

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan talks with Mike Mahaffey of Old Bastard BJJ about the trans hate pouring out of combat sports, and the fighters who have figured out it pays. They start with Sean Strickland's AI video of himself beating up a trans woman, then get into why guys like Strickland and Jake Shields keep posting this stuff: it riles up a certain kind of fan, and that attention is the product. Recorded during Pride Month, it is also about what the jiu-jitsu community owes its trans members, who take the brunt of this. 🔗 Links Mentioned: - Old Bastard BJJ on Patreon (buy "Introduction to Base" in June, all proceeds go to the Salus Center) — https://patreon.com/oldbastardbjj - Salus Center, Lansing — https://www.saluscenter.org ⸻ 👥 Featuring: - Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com - Mike Mahaffey — https://instagram.com/oldbastardbjj ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: - Sean Strickland's anti-trans AI video and the threat behind it - How the "fairness in women's sports" debate gets used as cover for violence - Active clubs, fascism, and the far right's foothold in fight sports - Mike's advocacy work and the threats it brings - The harassment trans grapplers face just for showing up to train - Why fighters profit from anti-trans content - Why "keep politics out of jiu-jitsu" is a cop-out - Raising a trans daughter and changing minds through storytelling ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Welcome and why a Pride episode 02:26 — The Strickland video and the "fairness" cover 08:47 — Active clubs and the far right in fight sports 11:20 — Mike's advocacy and the threats it draws 17:46 — Spite-based activism and trans grapplers under attack 22:30 — Why fighters monetize trans hate 30:04 — Staying neutral is a choice, and the politics myth 34:08 — Pride, gender, and changing norms 40:17 — You don't have to get it to defend it 42:36 — Mike on supporting your trans friends and family 47:35 — Why martial artists have to speak up 51:06 — Mike's fundraiser for the Salus Center

    1 Std. 1 Min.

  7. 26. Mai

    Why did UFC BJJ let Mikey compete with a staph infection?

    In this episode of the Fighting Matters podcast, Steve Kwan is joined by Jeff Shaw of Bellingham BJJ, Mike Mahaffey of Old Bastard BJJ, and Dr. Clayton Green, a board-certified dermatologist and BJJ practitioner. They get into what happened at UFC BJJ when Mikey Musumeci defended his title against Kevin Dantzler with an active staph infection, went back to the hospital right after the match, and defended the decision by saying he had covered the infection with spats. The conversation covers why staph is more dangerous than people realize, how the UFC has stopped fights like this before but didn't this time, and what gyms and competitors can actually do to be safer. 🔗 Links Mentioned: - NFHS Wrestling Skin Lesion Form — https://a-us.storyblok.com/f/1022696/x/87b3155d73/2025-26-nfhs-wrestling-skin-lesion-form-final-april-2025.pdf ⸻ 👥 Featuring: - Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com - Jeff Shaw — https://bellinghambjj.com - Mike Mahaffey — https://www.instagram.com/oldbastardbjj - Dr. Clayton Green ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: - What happened at UFC BJJ and Mikey's hospital readmission - Why "I covered it with spats" isn't a defense - How close Ben Askren came to dying from MRSA - Whether BJJ is losing community knowledge about infection risk - How pandemic-era science denial is showing up in jiu-jitsu - How the UFC stopped fights like this before, and didn't this time - The wrestling skin check form and how gyms can use it - Institutional accountability vs dogpiling on the athlete ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Introducing the panel 02:39 — What happened at UFC BJJ 05:16 — Spats aren't condoms 10:09 — How dangerous staph actually is 18:08 — Are we losing community knowledge about infection risk? 25:21 — Why didn't the UFC stop this? 26:34 — Pandemic-era science denial in BJJ 33:13 — The wrestling skin check form 36:45 — How gyms model and enforce safer behavior 40:48 — Advice for young competitors under pressure 50:22 — Institutional accountability vs dogpiling the athlete 53:02 — Closing thoughts

    1 Std. 1 Min.

  8. 21. Mai

    How Jiu-Jitsu Survives the AI Era

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan is joined again by Dr. David Riedman: 17-year jiu-jitsu practitioner, MIT-trained data analyst, and PhD researcher whose dissertation focused on measuring the accuracy of large language model outputs. David is also the author of the Riedman Report, one of the most popular Substacks on risk, AI, education, and security. The conversation is broken into three parts. Part one is a broad explanation of what modern AI actually is and how it works. Part two covers the cultural and social impact of AI on public life. Part three is about how AI will affect the business of jiu-jitsu and the people who train and run gyms. Steve walks out of the conversation with a take he didn't expect: martial artists may be in a stronger position than people working in tech. ⸻ 🔗 Links Mentioned: - The Riedman Report — https://riedmanreport.substack.com - K-12 School Shooting Database — https://k12ssdb.org ⸻ 👥 Featuring: - Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com - Dr. David Riedman — https://riedmanreport.substack.com ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: - Why LLMs don't actually think, and why that matters - The political split on AI adoption and why both sides are partially right - Where AI genuinely helps a small business and where it creates risk - Model drift, context dilution, and how guardrails break down in long conversations - Why AI tutorials and AI video can't teach jiu-jitsu - What it means for a sport without a unified registry when anyone can fabricate credentials - The trillion-dollar lock-in: why we may be stuck with LLMs even if they don't work - Why human-service work like coaching may be more durable than tech work ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Reintroducing Dr. David Riedman 03:25 — PART 1: What modern AI actually is 15:39 — Why a confident-looking LLM output can still be wrong 23:12 — PART 2: The cultural and social impact of AI 35:09 — When the stakes are too high to outsource 42:09 — When AI is used to plan a war 50:54 — Model drift and how the guardrails erode 58:23 — PART 3: AI and the business of jiu-jitsu 01:03:11 — Automating the soul out of your gym 01:14:20 — The trillion-dollar bet on a tool that may not work 01:22:06 — Three futures and none of them are good 01:29:46 — What gym owners and practitioners should actually do

    1 Std. 35 Min.
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Fighting fascism and the far-right in combat sports like MMA and BJJ.

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    Fighting Matters
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