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Investigations

Kadyrov turned his MMA fight club into a war machine—what happens after he dies?
Kadyrov's MMA empire is a farming system for his private militia, now fighting in Ukraine. Yet with reports of his failing health, what happens to this…
 • 
Karim Zidan
Fascist Fight Clubs in Trumpland
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…
 • 
Karim Zidan
3
How Chechnya’s warlord extinguished a UFC fighter’s star
Khamzat Chimaev, once a UFC golden boy, has now been reduced to a glorified propagandist for Ramzan Kadyrov, banned from entering the US and with his…
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Karim Zidan
5
How Andrew Tate profits off MMA and Islam
With the support of UFC champions and a legion of young Muslim men, the self-styled misogynist continues to weaponize both faith and fighting for…
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Karim Zidan
4
Steven Seagal and the art of the grift
From dancing with dictators to becoming Putin's pet, the d-list actor has spent the last few decades making friends with some of the world's most…
 • 
Karim Zidan
The Kremlin-backed boxing federation fuelling the Imane Khelif scandal
The allegations against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif were sparked by the IBA, a boxing organization led by a man with connections to Putin and the…
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Karim Zidan
Israel’s Olympic Soldiers
At least 30 Israeli Olympians have publicly supported the Gaza war. Some even have served as IDF spokespeople, effectively as symbolizing Israel’s hard…
 • 
Karim Zidan
The rise and fall of Khabib Nurmagomedov
Once a UFC star and one of the most popular Muslim athletes alive, Khabib Nurmagomedov is now facing an existential to his legacy. So how exactly did…
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Karim Zidan
8
Blood, Sweat, Hate: MMA's festering neo-Nazi problem
Extremists are using the sport’s counter-culture mystique to radicalize disenfranchised young men and to provide them a shared space to spread hate…
 • 
Karim Zidan
How a UFC star was banned from entering the United States
The UFC reportedly wanted Khamzat Chimaev to headline UFC 300. However, the Chechen fighter is unable to enter the US due to his connections with…
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Karim Zidan
3
How Saudi Arabia bought Messi's endorsement—and his silence
The kingdom has managed to transform the greatest footballer of all time into a propaganda puppet willing to espouse any message for the right price.
 • 
Karim Zidan
3
Inside Sweden's Notorious Underground Fight Club
KOTS' unsanctioned brawls bring together unfettered ultimate fighting with an increasingly emboldened alliance of violent soccer hooliganism, far-right…
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Karim Zidan
2
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