Octagonal Relations feat. Karim Zidan | Chapo Trap House

[@FirstnameLastname-kn5sw]

The name Karim Zidane is the North African equivalent of an American having the name LeBron Jordan. Kudos.

[@KarmaPaym3ntPlan]

These episodes, discussing the impact of cultural institutions that I’ll never really personally engage with, (most sports.. marvel movies) are.. fucking excellent Nice work, guys

[@Dawt_Calm]

There's this huge void of ignorance I have in these areas. It's a momentary flash, illuminating a writhing horde that exists there. Like the creatures in the movie Pitch Black.

[@kathrynMcEwen-l8e]

"I'm more of a book guy" NERD!!!

[@kathrynMcEwen-l8e]

@dawtcalm5828 what do you think your IQ is? Just curious.

[@BeigeFrequency]

I'd love an annual(if not more frequent) Karim Zidan appearance. He's one of the most important people in the MMA media and one of the few remaining actual journalists.

[@OOspazOO]

Hey, love your docs bro!

[@evilkhamzat]

lol you overstate his importance and competence Zidan is an ideologue an empty vapid one at that much like yourself beige. Btw did you enjoy the Islam head kick 😂😂😂

[@Hhunter12]

"Sports, they're a lifestyle for some, pastime for others. For most of our listeners they're the thing that the normal members of their families watch while they're editing the Assassin's Creed wiki during thanksgiving. But other than that, they're a vital tool for statecraft." That opening has me cryin every time lmaoo

[@missyrotchford2888]

we love our boy matt : Mercedes Schlappo Louse

[@jonloc8535]

Since Felix didn't watch Napoleon and had nothing to say i guess it is fair for Will to do the same with the UFC

[@Dawt_Calm]

Stay👏in👏your👏lane

[@ellie3910]

Newcastle fan here coming in peace 🤓 The Saudi Government having a hand in the club I support has been crazy. It has transformed the club on a level rarely seen, taking us from perennial relegation battlers to in the Chanpions league. It’s like Karim said, it hard to blame local fans from supporting the takeover, even though it’s disgusting.

[@MictlanisWaiting]

one of the most well versed and knowledgeable guests, would love to hear more of this guy.

[@justnorthofnormal2113]

To be honest, I don’t care at all about combat sports. And yet, somehow, I still found this incredibly interesting. Good on you, Mr. Chapo

[@gavin7772]

speak a little Chinese for em Ramzan kadyrov

[@JonTeriini]

Cheers Karim and Felix, this work unveils great and surprising insights in to further issues going on that never get any attention from our shuttered media in 'The West'. Free Palestine!

[@ynat2198]

For a very brief period i was following ufc and i couldn't understand how generally ignorant and Neanderthal-ish dana and ilk (but mainly dana) are. However i am not the target audience and i probably never will be. Saudis pay for a ton of propaganda from all sides, from sports to the entertainers that still hold their shows there. I wish more people knew just how much money is tied in to the things they think are inherently “american” or “european” 🙄 that doesn't exist anymore.

[@mtcuppers]

I can explain Dana White pretty easily. Imagine a guy who hates his parents and is failing at life. At some point he makes a company alongside investors and becomes insanely rich, early in his career. That's it, he's rich and keeps getting richer. He doesn't need to be better or good at anything anymore, can have caveman opinions and his wealth keeps on expanding.

[@maryfolles1168]

they should have Zidan on more often

[@user-hy8uo5ig9o]

no they shouldnt ( hes so fucking boring)

[@omegasmesh]

I know that I shouldn't have expected it here but I still wish that they had brought up KS also trying to buy its way into the gaming industry. Outright buying SNK, increasing their stocks at Nintendo, apparently rumored to buy the OWL from Blizzard. That's also a reason why worldwide younger people are gonna be okay with KS and turn a blind eye to them

[@patrickholt2270]

SA is South Africa. The proper name of the state is the Kingdom of Saud, so go with KS.

[@blackbeard00]

Fight island is literally the plotline for Enter the Dragon .

[@TurtleChad1]

Hamas needs to stop using human shields and this wouldn't be happening

[@miskatonic_alumni]

​@@TurtleChad1Israel should stop imitating German laws from the 1930s.

[@kylemeyer2139]

Really really interesting show ❤

[@chronicus4]

Get well buddy we miss ya!!!

[@TVs_Brent]

Karim is a guy whos work is always vital to follow.

[@Praisethesunson]

He is my view into the gulf states the U.S hasn't recently invaded.

[@kathrynMcEwen-l8e]

How is it "vital"?

[@Kcoldraz]

I can totally see why people in Saudi like MBS. I mean, people here in the Philippines actually like Duterte and could have won reelection if we don't have serving limit.

[@patricklynch9574]

Bong bong is slightly better then Duterte

[@blackdog9698919]

From everything I've heard, the majority of people in Saudi Arabia do _not_ like the Sauds. The Saudi citizenry might, maybe, but keep in mind that's a small minority of the population. Like, I'm sure you would know better than me, but apparently Duterte earned a lot of goodwill in his time as mayor of Davao City? And a lot of people seem to support his war on drugs, and he seems to have tried to navigate the Philippines safely between the U.S. and China. Not trying to make excuses for him or anything, just, compare and contrast to the Saudi royal family. According to most people in Saudi Arabia, they're just a bunch of inbred assholes who either are too Islamist or aren't Islamist enough.

[@Kcoldraz]

Is he? I mean, at least I haven't heard any human rights violation yet from him, so I suppose your right. I just couldn't trust the guy. He can't even admit that his dad did anything wrong.

[@patricklynch9574]

I know his mom Imelda is a senator.

[@seancatacombs]

When your country's organized left is systematically destroyed and driven into the hills liberal democratic politics takes some weird, bad turns. Upper class Filipinos are apolitical because neither side will threaten their control of the economy, middle class Boomers are a 100% vibes-based voter base and going off a false memory of stability under Bongbong's dad, and the working class tends towards whoever actually promises them something even if it's as flimsy as repaved roads and "law and order".

[@MikeGloria]

A really funny thing in the Newcastle United topic, ever since the Saudi takeover all their away kits have had the Saudi Arabia colors, they just straight up don't even try to hide what's going on lol. Edit: the 2022/23 kit with the Saudi colors was the third kit, not the away kit.

[@walteryellow3884]

Commenting for algorithmic purposes

[@patricklynch9574]

If Riyadh is good enough for Kofi Annan its good enough for Trump.

[@rodrigoroa6753]

Lol Kofi Annan that's a name lost in history, a sadass parade of unremarkable leaders neo liberalism has produced.

[@PerogiXW]

REMINDER: J. Cole went platinum with no features.

[@tdc898]

Not to split hairs with Karim, but the thing the WWE did at the Saudi show where they brought out Iran wrestlers and then had them get squashed by Saudi wrestler's is SUPER common in pro-wrestling, though it's fallen out of favour in more recent years. It's just that usually it's American wrestlers beating up foreign villains. The stuff they did during 9/11 and the invasion of Iran were really insane

[@st2udent_650]

Even that is an extension of the age old tradition wrestlers beating up out of town rivals in front of their hometowns. From that perspective it's really not a new concept, more of a return to roots.

[@tdc898]

That's not to say it's not insane propaganda, it IS, it's just unusual to see the WWE pull it out for another nation like that

[@evilkhamzat]

@@tdc898I think you fail to understand the sectarian element at play to try and compare it to 9/11 or the Iraq war shows a complete misunderstanding of the context.

[@jakez5894]

if he's misunderstanding it, I am too.@@evilkhamzat

[@w__a__l__e]

lol endevor.. i worked with them for a year.. aweful company

[@samali9342]

The UAE is not the Jiu-jitsu country. At best, it's the Jiu-jitsu city block.

[@Garrett1240]

Great episode. Karim is a real mensch and great communicator of what’s happening with sports washing.

[@nasty_jazz]

I dont heavily follow sports, but its really cool to just hear Felix and Karim have a passionate conversation about political posturing in media in a lens i dont ever really get exposure to

[@mv-xr7lt]

Double episode chapo let’s go!

[@gabrielbortoloto]

I love how outraged and indignant some people get when they realize they’re not able to decide and impose on others who is and who is not a pariah on the internacional stage anymore. it’s been relatively recent in the world of sports, specially with last years WC but applies to other places as well. I mean, how dare you release your movie on china and middle-eastern markets? how dare you go play on a football league from saudi arabia or accept money from there? didn’t you get our message that these people arent good enough to partake in basic human activities? they know the power of entertainment and sports, and the western powers have monopolized both for decades, making sure that it isn’t helping to humanize people from any adversary nation, and when you have a tiny bit of that power moving to the peripheries they lose their shit lol

[@LG0o0-y9k]

I mean you are equally if not more so a deeply weird individual for taking any gratification from this. "WoAH lOoK BaSeD ThE TheOcRaTs ArE DuNkInG oN ThE liBs !!!!! based based based!!!!!

[@reillyhughcox9560]

Ngannou won we all know it

[@junes2k]

Felix is so good at making the things he likes interesting to someone who knows nothing about it.

[@jasonmcarthur4764]

As a Canadian, I really appreciated Karim's comparison of the Emirates and Canada. More of us need to realize and wrestle with this reality.

[@jeffm3283]

I can tell I will like this episode thanks lads

[@WriteInAaronBushnell]

Do a full on Kadirov episode!

[@celestialsalamander]

I did not realize, until an hour in, that they were saying "spot washing" and not "spot watching".

[@anon2234]

Damn, this one's really good

[@dr00by]

Dates and milk was the line from King Faizal I believe

[@DarkAlley92]

I miss Jordan Breen so fkn much man😔

[@Garrett1240]

What happened to him? Thought he lost sobriety a couple years ago?

[@hellokittybebop]

My coaches coach trained frank Mir;(

[@totonow6955]

Matt

[@justnorthofnormal2113]

Felix

[@jjb.6152]

Interesting

[@mattgilbert7347]

And the last shall be first

[@joshuamarx8209]

Nope: common ruination.

[@mattgilbert7347]

@@joshuamarx8209 my point exactly

[@mattgilbert7347]

​@@joshuamarx8209also The day I can't find a vaguely, semi-smoothbrained way to not just type "first!" is the day I send myself to Gulag. Maybe I'm already in Gulag, maybe we're all in Gulag together. Somehow, I think the people of Gaza would disagree. A suburb of an ******** city is not Gaza. I just had a cookie. Choc chip. With coffee. Mind you, it wasn't coffee without cream. It was coffee without milk. So at least there's that.

[@hemingshark327]

and the first is the gay

[@mattgilbert7347]

@@hemingshark327 now we're talking

[@skiptoacceptancemdarlin]

today's guest: The Twitter Narrator. yep. that's a job now, apparently

[@bitteralmonds666]

It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. We’ve had news readers for well over a century 🧉🦄

[@theoldanarchist]

No insult to Felix, but this topic is completely lost on me. I can't even pretend to be interested.

[@GayTier1Operator]

yea same. it’s interesting to know the fighters have politics but i cannot care about this lol

[@shoxx48]

This is a really good insight into Saudi youth, UFC, sportswashing, relationships between the Gulf states and Saudi Arabia

[@Alejandro-te2nt]

Lol ok pencil neck

[@adamazzalino5247]

Listen or don't

[@Mannydamon]

But it involves politics

[@augustgurtisen]

It's cool to hear Felix talk about something he's passionate about. Otherwise, yawn.

[@Alejandro-te2nt]

We get it, you dont lift and you love hearing about whatever bs is happening within the democratic party

[@berdyderg900]

Literally could not care less about this shit

[@randallhudson6231]

Loser

[@wgjung1]

You cared enough to make a comment and you just want you let us know how 'important' you're. Yep, we get.

[@ZGGuesswho]

mma rocks and so does vile political intrigue

[@havanaradio]

The war in hazaha? Wtf??

[@bobsucks9647]

You guys should do a whole episode on wwe there’s so much to talk about. Tribute to the troops shows where they wrestled in Iraq and iran for soldiers during the war, Donald trump stuff, Muhammad Hasan etc.

[@bobsucks9647]

As a wrestling fan and a chapo fan hearing someone talk about wwe from this perspective is super interesting. The insane exploitation and weird propaganda WWE does is unlike anything. Literally throwing shows at military bases in Baghdad during the iraq war so wild. Thankfully there’s plenty of other companies now that aren’t as gross and sketchy

[@griffindault]

Dont forget Sgt. Slaughter turning heel as an Iraqi sympathizer after the invasion of Kuwait, the storyline would culminate just a couple months after the end of the 1st Gulf War at WM5 where Hulk Hogan wins the title off of the dastardly slaughter.