The dark politics behind McGregor and Khabib’s feud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNrDAOAdM8g
Karim Zidan is a writer that may have become more popular during the build up to the Khabib Conor fight as the premier subject matter expert on links between MMA and regional ‘strongmen’ (aka dictators). He has written extensively about Ramzan Kadyrov and his links to MMA in the Caucus region where Khabib is from. Kadyrov is a Chechen leader but with Checnya being a close next door neighbor to Dagestan, his influence unsurprisingly extends there as well.
In the interview above on Off the Ball (which sounds like an Irish production?), he talks about how Conor was potentially stroking real life trouble that could have endangered Khabib and his family, talks about how its hard to say no to a strongman like Kadyrov (like a local mafia boss in a small town), and how the UFC definitely played with fire. He also starts the interview by making it clear he absolutely does not condone Khabib’s behavior.
At around 10:30 of that interview (shortcut link below), Karim is asked to expand on the “honor culture” of the region based on its’ patriarchy, religion and importance of the father figure and also more about Khabib’s Dad’s history in the region as well as with grappling and MMA and coaching. Its quite fascinating,
he mentions the challenges of suriving the Chechen war as well as starting grappling clubs (including in his house) to give kids an alternative to Islamic extremist groups.
https://youtu.be/BNrDAOAdM8g?t=629
To add, interesting to note that he is also supported by Putin as a resistance to that same Islamic fundamentalism (a tried and true approach the US gov has used in the same fight as well as Communism in the past - anyone interested in the long list of dictators like Kadyrov the US gov has supported in cases like this can google "Friendly Dictators). Zidan also brought up the hypocrisy in Conor’s linking of Khabib to Kadyrov, in I believe the MMA Hour, when he was chumming up to Putin at the World Cup when Putin is Kadyrov’s benefactor.
He also talks about how Khabib’s dad, Abdulmanap, is also a storied grappling figure as well, having competed or coached in wresatling, judo and sambo and having raised Khabib on the mats. So that he is not only Khabib’s dad, but coach and as youngest son, he is obliged to live with his father until passing. Hard not to see why anyone, honor culture or not, would not take to insults against a father like this too kindly. Business or not. Also, Firas Zahabi has even commented how much of a great MMA mind Abulmanap is having met and shared training thoughts.
Karim Zidan MMA articles
https://www.sbnation.com/users/Karim%20Zidan
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