Karim Zidan 🕊️

No other sports league has gone to the lengths the UFC has to promote Donald Trump. So how did the UFC become entangled in MAGA politics? And why does this matter now? This is what my new series, In The Red Corner, attempts to answer. 1st ep out now! sportspolitika.news/p/ufc-trump-po…

As Donald Trump continues to be plagued by his relationship with notorious pedophile Jeffery Epstein, another one of his cabinet members—a former WWE CEO—is haunted by a pedophile scandal of her own. sportspolitika.news/p/trump-epstei…

As Donald Trump continues to be plagued by his relationship with notorious pedophile Jeffery Epstein, another one of his cabinet members—a former WWE CEO—is haunted by a pedophile scandal of her own. sportspolitika.news/p/trump-epstei…

Along with Messi, Ronaldo & Nadal, Magnus Carlsen is the latest star to become a well-paid pitchman for Saudi Arabia. And with every star who signs on, the regime’s image gleams just a little bit brighter. My latest for @guardian: theguardian.com/sport/2025/jul…

In this week's @SportsPolitika round-up: -Fascist fight clubs exposed in Canada -Football returns to war-torn Sudan - Trump steals Club World Cup Trophy - Bahrain bets big on Snooker - Jiu-Jitsu in Palestine sportspolitika.news/p/fascist-figh…

After a controversial stint in populist politics, Manny Pacquiao returns to the ring on July 19. Whether the public still cheers him on—or whether the shine has worn off for good—remains to be seen. sportspolitika.news/p/manny-pacqui…

10 years ago, I published my first longform—an interview with actor Ed O'Neill on the role Brazilian jiu-jitsu played in his life and career. It was purged along with the rest of my work at Bloody Elbow but I've now republished it at @SportsPolitika sportspolitika.news/p/ed-o-neill-j…

Today would have been my grandmother's 100th birthday. To mark the centenary of tbe pioneering Egyptian artist, I decided to write a short story reimagining her time studying in London in the 1950s. You can read the story on the @MenhatHelmy website: menhathelmy.com/p/imagining-me…

In our latest episode for State of Play, we focus on the intersection of sports and politics and how Trump's increasing authoritarianism is playing out in Los Angeles – the sports capital of the world. globalreportingcentre.org/state-of-play/…

Hours after Trump signed an executive order to deploy 2,000 national guard troops to Los Angeles, he attended a UFC event where he received a standing ovation. Using the spectacle of sports to project strength and unity is straight out of a fascist playbook writes @ZidanSports

A decade ago I was in Russia watching MMA being used to curry favor with Putin. Now Trump is using the UFC to project a nationalist cult on America’s front lawn My latest for The Guardian: theguardian.com/sport/2025/jul…

Acho que o Karim é o único cara que realmente faz jornalismo no MMA.

This is an essay that I could write over and over every week: I moved to the U.S. from Egypt in 2000 and I’ve spent the past 25yrs watching the US turn into Egypt – from encroaching state power to the increasingly unchecked role of religion in politics. feministgiant.com/p/essay-i-left…

There was once a time when the US could point to the authoritarian pageantry of regimes like Mussolini’s Italy and claim at least some moral distance. That line is no longer visible. theguardian.com/sport/2025/jul…

Excellent take by @ZidanSports. Trump’s partnership with the UFC makes it an iconic staging ground for MAGA mythology. But these spectacles of masculinity & nationalism aren’t just light entertainment. They reflect deeper, quite troubling trends in authoritarian pageantry.