Fighting Matters

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

  1. Nov 6

    📣 The Red States Screamed for Help

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan from BJJ Mental Models and Jesse Walker of Rough Hands BJJ in Louisville, Kentucky talk through an election night where Texas and Kansas went blue and Mississippi looks set to follow. They make the case that this was red states screaming for help and demanding accountability, and that Democrats may not get another chance like this if they waste it. ⸻ 👥 Featuring: • Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com • Jesse Walker — https://roughhandsbjj.com ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: • Red states that went blue on election night • Why the results were too big to rig • Vivek Ramaswamy's ad against Amy Acton • Schumer, Jeffries and Democratic leadership • Accountability without vengeance • What Democrats now have to deliver • Supreme Court and Electoral College reform ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — A blue wave across red states 05:18 — How Democrats won red seats 08:45 — The results were too big to rig 10:47 — The Republican bench for 2028 13:05 — Ramaswamy's Amy Acton attack ad 15:08 — Trump's reaction to the loss 18:23 — Corruption finally broke through 20:53 — Jeffries, Massie and impeachment 25:57 — Accountability without vengeance 30:19 — How gas prices woke people up 32:23 — Texas limits on the new governor 34:39 — The cartoon version of Democrats 36:27 — Why Democrats have to deliver 41:44 — The coming Republican civil war 45:58 — State charges and no pardons 47:01 — Reforming the Supreme Court 49:43 — The popular vote state compact 52:21 — Nazi tattoos in the BJJ community 54:38 — Accountability down the chain

  2. Oct 29

    We're begging you, PLEASE VOTE 🇺🇸

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, Jesse Walker and Mike Mahaffey make a get-out-the-vote plea ahead of the November 3 midterms. They talk about Michigan's Senate race between Abdul El-Sayed and Mike Rogers, why corruption and the cost of living are moving voters in red districts, and why more people care about civics than they did ten years ago. Then they ask you to vote, and to stay involved after Election Day whichever way it goes. ⸻ 🔗 Links Mentioned: • America Dissected podcast — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/america-dissected/id1480634141 • Fighting Matters: Martial Artists Should Get Political, with Joshua Peters — https://youtu.be/jKDl3K0FmSo ⸻ 👥 Featuring: • Jesse Walker — https://roughhandsbjj.com • Mike Mahaffey — https://magicbjj.com ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: • Voting early by absentee ballot • Abdul El-Sayed vs. Mike Rogers in Michigan • El-Sayed's town hall response • Corruption and the cost of living • Polling in red districts and states • The renewed interest in civics • Running for local office ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Jesse and Mike on voting early 01:31 — El-Sayed vs. Rogers in Michigan 03:53 — El-Sayed's town hall response 06:56 — What the national polls show 08:33 — Corruption and the cost of living 12:03 — Red districts getting closer 14:30 — Research your ballot and vote 16:43 — Jesse on undecided GOP voters 19:13 — A renewed interest in civics 21:53 — Absentee ballots and drop boxes 22:48 — Running for office, canvassing 24:30 — A lottery for the presidency 25:22 — What comes after Election Day 27:02 — A possible election night special

  3. Oct 17

    The USA is trying to own Alberta

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan and Stephan Kesting make a public service announcement ahead of Alberta's October 19 referendum on whether to start the process of separating from Canada. They lay out how US officials and MAGA influencers have openly courted Alberta separatists, what leaving Canada would cost Albertans, and why people staying home is how Brexit happened. They also get into BC's snap election, with voting info for both provinces below. ⸻ 🔗 Links Mentioned: - Alberta referendum questions (vote October 19) — https://www.elections.ab.ca/elections/referendum/ - Where to vote in Alberta — https://www.elections.ab.ca/current-election-information/where-do-i-vote/ - Elections BC (advance voting October 16 to 21, final voting day October 24) — https://elections.bc.ca - Decision Making and National Unity Under Threat (DisinfoWatch report on US and Russian interference in Alberta) — https://disinfowatch.org/foreign-interference-targeting-canada-and-alberta/ ⸻ 👥 Featuring: - Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com - Stephan Kesting — https://grapplearts.com ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: - Alberta's October 19 separation referendum - US officials courting Alberta separatists - Brexit and the risk of staying home - What separation would cost Alberta - Trump's promises and his record - Martial artists who say they're above politics - BC's snap election and the BC Conservatives ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Two Canadians, freshly vaccinated 00:42 — Alberta's October 19 referendum 02:14 — Bessent, Bannon, and Alberta oil 06:02 — Separatists meeting US officials 07:08 — Russia and the Arctic routes 09:07 — Brexit and the turnout problem 14:02 — Norway's sovereign wealth fund 15:36 — What separation would cost Alberta 18:44 — Danielle Smith and Donald Trump 20:09 — Trump's promises and his record 24:53 — US military threats to Canada 26:26 — "Above politics" in martial arts 30:00 — The BC election and Conservatives 33:37 — Voting dates in Alberta and BC

  4. Oct 15

    One Distraction After Another

    On this episode of the Fighting Matters Podcast, Stephan Kesting, Jesse Walker, Jeff Shaw, and Steve Kwan examine how the recent insane actions of Donald Trump represent the normalization of extreme behavior in society and politics.  What sort of example does it set when political leaders behave in a way detached from morality and accountability?  We also look at the role of martial arts teachers for modeling and teaching core values ------- Featuring Stephan Kesting, https://www.grapplearts.com Jesse Walker, https://roughhandsbjj.com Jeff Shaw, https://bellinghambjj.com Steve Kwan, https://bjjmentalmodels.com ------- Chapters 00:00 Crazy things Trump has done in the last 3 days 04:02 The normalization of outlandish behavior in society 08:13 The role of accountability and integrity in leadership 10:01 Impact of political chaos on international trust 16:02 The potential for political change and the midterm elections 17:54 The danger of normalized lies and misinformation 20:00 The political expediency of leaders and their actions 21:55 The significance of voting and civic engagement 24:05 The broader mechanistic agenda behind political distractions 28:05 The influence of societal role models and behavior modeling 32:00 The silence and apathy in communities and martial arts 34:00 The normalization of hate speech and misinformation 36:08 The failure of leaders to acknowledge mistakes 37:52 The impact of political chaos on international relations 40:09 The importance of moral integrity in leadership 43:59 The role of martial arts in teaching core values 46:12 The erosion of trust and its global consequences 50:01 The influence of wealth and power on accountability 51:54 The importance of international cooperation and trust 56:02 The decline of American influence and trust worldwide 01:00:07 Closing thoughts and call to civic action

  5. Sep 27

    The Acceleration of Martial Arts Fascism

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan and Mike Mahaffey connect a month of far-right imagery in combat sports: Nazi salutes and a swastika flag at a kickboxing event in Orlando, an ADCC finalist with a history of posting Nazi salutes, and a Tatami gi pulled over SS-style lightning bolts. They argue this keeps happening because the sport keeps making excuses for it, and that fans can change that by being deliberate about who gets their money. ⸻ 👥 Featuring: - Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com - Mike Mahaffey — https://instagram.com/oldbastardbjj ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: - Nazi salutes at a Paul Miller kickboxing fight - Josh Saunders' ADCC final loss to Victor Hugo - Tatami's Autsiders gi and its SS-style bolts - Turning Point USA on the UFC BJJ mat - Fuji BJJ's event conduct policy - Voting with your dollars in jiu-jitsu - Buying local in a K-shaped economy ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — A month of hate in fight sports 04:10 — Paul Miller's kickboxing salute 06:37 — Josh Saunders in the ADCC final 08:26 — Tatami's Autsiders gi controversy 14:46 — Josh Saunders' coaching business 17:29 — Voting with your wallet in BJJ 20:14 — Sports have always been political 23:02 — Turning Point USA on UFC BJJ mats 27:39 — Fuji BJJ's event conduct policy 34:53 — How the far right gets normalized 37:47 — Finding ethical jiu-jitsu coaches 40:10 — Far-right versus far-left threats 42:14 — The mood on the ground in the US 45:45 — Fascism and incompetent loyalists 50:39 — Local spending, K-shaped economy

  6. Sep 4

    Canada Fuels American Growth

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan and Stephan Kesting talk through the Canada-US trade war from the Canadian side of the border. They explain why this was never about tariffs, and why Americans are not hearing how much of their own economy runs on Canadian lumber, oil, electricity, and potash, the base ingredient in most fertilizer. Canadian boycotts have already done damage that dropping the tariffs will not undo. ⸻ 🔗 Links Mentioned: - FULL SPEECH | Carney explains why Canada suspended trade talks with U.S. — CBC News — https://youtu.be/l-WgOxbWUHk ⸻ 👥 Featuring: - Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com - Stephan Kesting — https://grapplearts.com ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: - What the US demanded in the talks - French labeling and Canadian culture - 51st state rhetoric and sovereignty - Alberta separatism as a wedge - Potash, lumber, and US dependence - The odds of a hot war with Canada - Boycotts as the real pressure ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Two Canadians on the trade war 01:15 — The Welland Canal fake story 03:26 — What American media leaves out 05:49 — This started in January 2025 08:32 — The real reason talks collapsed 10:16 — Quebec and the French language 16:23 — Trump signed the USMCA himself 19:12 — Trust that takes decades to fix 25:10 — Hostile posts are policy now 29:50 — Could this become a shooting war 31:46 — Why Canada can hurt America 35:55 — Potash, lumber, and toilet paper 39:45 — Loyalty picked over competence 47:02 — Where are the American protests 51:33 — Boycotts and voting with dollars 55:10 — A Canadian insurgency and NATO

  7. Aug 28

    Tariffs and Jiu-Jitsu Economics

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, Jeff Shaw and Jesse Walker are joined by Jose Fernandez, a health economist and purple belt who chairs the economics department at the University of Louisville. He explains who pays for tariffs, why 70% of the world's gis coming out of one country matters for your gear budget, and what gym owners should do about prices and leases while their students are getting squeezed. ⸻ 👥 Featuring: - Jeff Shaw — https://bellinghambjj.com - Jesse Walker — https://roughhandsbjj.com - Jose Fernandez — https://louisville.edu/faculty/jmfern02 ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: - The tight labor market and consumer sentiment - Gym pricing, leases, and rate freezes - Politics in the gym and local elections - Tariffs on gis and rash guards - The AI bubble and robot labor - The federal debt and taxing the rich - Insurance paperwork and doctor hours ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00:00 — Introducing Jose Fernandez 00:03:57 — The indicators and the debt 00:06:47 — White belt signups slow down 00:08:51 — Leases, rent, and expansion 00:11:48 — Why you shouldn't cut prices 00:13:38 — Family discounts and freezes 00:19:05 — Politics in the jiu-jitsu gym 00:20:29 — Vote in your local elections 00:25:09 — Who pays the tariff on your gi 00:28:23 — Trade deals without tariffs 00:32:31 — Why the stock market climbs 00:38:00 — Robots replacing human labor 00:47:54 — AI, drones, and modern warfare 00:54:12 — Cheap gas and the oil reserves 01:00:03 — The debt and the sacred cows 01:11:24 — Insurers waste doctor hours

  8. Aug 21

    We Gotta Talk About These UFC BJJ Sponsors

    In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan and Stephan Kesting pull up a screenshot of the UFC BJJ 10 mat and read the sponsors out loud: the Air National Guard, the AI drone company Anduril, and Turning Point USA. Dana White has spent years insisting the UFC is not political, and you can read the rebuttal off his own mat. They argue the money is there to launder reputations and buy the silence of athletes who do not have many other options. ⸻ 👥 Featuring: - Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com - Stephan Kesting — https://grapplearts.com ⸻ 🧠 Topics Discussed: - The sponsors on the UFC BJJ 10 mat - Anduril and Turning Point USA - Dana White on the UFC not being political - Exclusionary UFC BJJ contracts and ADCC - UFC BJJ viewership and visibility - What UFC BJJ athletes get paid - The chilling effect on athletes who speak out ⸻ 📖 Chapters: 00:00 — Stephan's Arctic expedition 02:21 — Dana White on being political 03:15 — The YAMMA bowl cage, revisited 04:24 — Reading the sponsors on the mat 05:33 — Anduril, the AI drone company 10:09 — Turning Point USA on the mat 16:28 — Could the left buy the same ad? 21:13 — The capture and kill strategy 24:00 — UFC BJJ's viewership problem 28:15 — Owning all of combat sports 32:09 — What UFC BJJ athletes get paid 43:41 — The Sartre quote on fascists 34:45 — The chilling effect on athletes 51:20 — What people can do about it

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About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Fighting Matters
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    99
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Fighting Matters
  • Show Website
    Fighting Matters

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