Karim Zidan Explains How Saudi Arabia Might Be MMA's Future | Morning Kombat
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- Why is Saudi Arabia hosting some of the biggest boxing fights with stars like Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou and Anthony Joshua while also investing in the PFL? Why is the UFC going to start hosting cards in the country? When you take a bigger picture, why also are the UAE and Qatar trying to make big inroads into professional sports?
In this interview by Luke Thomas with investigating journalist Karim Zidan, the Egyptian-Canadian journalist explains that the Arabian peninsula - not just Saudi Arabia - is heavily investing in sports properties and, specifically, combat sports. Yes, big stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and even Leo Messi are already part of the broader sports imaging efforts. However, as Zidan explains, sportswashing is part of it, but not the sum total of the efforts. He also believes the future hub and home of combat sports in 10 years may no longer be Las Vegas, but Saudi Arabia.
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Holy shit!!! Karim Zidan is appearing on camera!!! I'm shocked. He's still alive!! He never appears on camera. I'm always worried about Karim's safety with the reporting he does. Salute to Luke and MK getting him and Thanks Karim for the time.
I’m on his Substack but had no idea what he looked like 😂
True journalism! Congrats Luke and Karim on providing public service
Terrible journalism… disgusting double standards
@@og5059 Care to elaborate?
@@og5059😂
@@Mjhavok Western countries’ wealth is being built off robbing African resources, the employment of child labor (DR Congo Cobalt mines as a horrific example), and propagating wars in the MENA area (Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Libya, just to name a few). None of which is ever mentioned when these media members talk about human rights violations of countries holding mma events
@@og5059Because?
Luke, this is quality work right here, beyond MMA journalism 👊🏽. You basically provided more information in Arab foreign relations than all our cable news shows put together lol
100% More Karim and Luke please!
Sorry to highjack the top comment but can someone explain how likes levels are always so fucked? When the ads come on it about implodes my brain. It isn't like that with anything else.
You work for showtime ffs buddy geg it sorted.
Shout out to Karim Zidan! One of the best in the biz
Biggest rat
It's great Kiram Zidan again. His work needs more attention. All the MMA "journalists" (they're not) refuse to cover any of this.
Karim and Luke are the reason I recently started contributing to a site covering combat sports, this is a dream video for me!
Yes Luke is a bright mind in a MMA Meathead world lol
Really thankful for Karim and the work he’s doing. We are lucky to have him involved in MMA. And thank you Luke for having him on. Love to both of you ❤
I wish MK would have Karim on more. He knows so much about the middle east and very well spoken.
GREAT INTERVIEW LUKE & KARIM! SO INTERESTING AND INFORMATIVE
This is going to trigger Gaethje and his manager.
oh zero doubt lmfaooo
Can you explain? I only know they are cozy with Kadyrov
@TheVccn you mean the Chechnya guy lmao
Thanks for the interview Luke. Always love hearing from the great Karim.
Great to see Karim on the channel !!
Excellent interview- KZ is smart & well informed on so many topics that subscribing to his content is a no-brainer. I could listen to him speak on anything & be better for it. Thank you, Luke. I hope this free content encourages others to support him, as well.
Great conversation. Thank you Luke for bringing Karim on.
Thank you for the interview. Karim is pretty much the only journalist highlighting the darker, more cynical aspects of combat sports. I just wish the interview was longer.
John Nash. His reporting has a different focus, on legal and financial affairs of various players in the industry like the antitrust lawsuit. It's just as revealing and important, in my opinion. Karim has done such a service with his reporting, though, I'm not trying to take anything away from him.
Exactly. There’s really only two journalists in the mma space and that’s Karim and John Nash, and they’re both excellent.
Holy shit KARIM! Man has risked death threats, regimes calling him out specifically as a target, and being the only one to scoop on Kadyrov's financial ties to MMA internationally. So stoked he's on this platform and he's an important journalist, not just in the mma field
“The endless pursuit of profits will lead you into hands like Saudi Arabia” …
Brilliant interview
Really enjoyed this conversation !
Phenomenal guest! Thanks for the insights!
Man it feels like I haven't seen him in a long time. Its good to see you interview him again
This was really interesting, would love to see more of this, maybe even a recurring series where you discuss the politics and inner workings of mma as a business rather than the fights itself.
Can't wait for this one ❤
Wow. Great episode. Great questions, and Karim came across as an expert communicator.
Thank you for this interview Luke. By far the best ever aired on this channel, in my opinion. If you ever consider having another channel or maybe a section within your own channel with a look into politics it could look something like this.
Great work.
This was excellent, really apprecite this video. Its no suprise Luke and Karim vibe well discussing topics like this - would love to see another video like this again in the future.
This feels like the most hard hitting and authentic piece of journalism I've experienced in a long time.
Very excited for this one. Great guest.
This was absolutely fantastic, please, more content like this !
Don’t always agree with Karim’s opinions, but his investigative pieces are fantastic. He’s a true journalist in the MMA space, a space where we don’t have a lot of them.
Great interview! Good work yall
This is an incredible piece, thank you for doing all this hard work
Great interview & Bloody Elbow is the absolute best.
Such a great interview, always appreciate Karims work
Please have Karim on again in the future! This was great
Not an ad for visiting Dubai mid interview 🤣🤣🤣
This was excellent!!
Wow top notch journalism 👏👏 very good interview
Karim and Mike Russell are the types of journalists combat sports need.
Tremendous work team MK. Next, kindly invite Mike Russell.
Karim is great, Mike Russell is a quack
Important interview and Luke fucks up with his audio, nice
Phenomenal interview. Nothing to add, just wanted boost engagement for this. 👍👍
Really excited to give this a listen. Does it sound like Luke’s mic quality is a bit worse than usual for anybody else?
Yes
Thank you both for your great work.
Very informative fellas. Thank you.
Thank you, insightful conversation!
This was a fantastic video.
Fascinating discussion. Well done lads.
In the last press conference, Dana agreeing with a reporter saying Abu Dhabi will always be home in the region...should be interesting.
More great content from MK, need more discussions like this
nah nobody cares except back slapping cucks like you and luke who choose when to be outraged when it suits them and when it doesnt matter
Very interesting stuff , thanks Luke!
Great and important talk!
I’m subbed to Karim’s Substack and it’s very very good. You get some back and forth with him too It’s been a hoot
This gonna be good 👍
This was such an educational and stimulating episode. Honestly Luke is class act, when he wants to be haha
Karim “everyone is a right wing extremist” Zidan is the perfect match for Luke in an interview
Yeah comes across as a super leftie but if you can get past that, he really does dive into interesting stuff that nobody else covers
@@Ablofluido If i said everything Karim has written is trash that would just be a lie. But you can tell some of the stuff he says/covers has a hard slant to it
Its Saudi Arabia, if they are not extremely right wing, no one is.
@@dangerouslydubiousdoubleda9821 You’re definitely one of those “authoritarians can only be right wing” morons aren’t you?
I’ve been reading his articles for years but I’ve never heard him speak. You are awesome Karim!!
Karim is legit 🎸📚🙌
Thanks for coming on Karim! Hope he comes back again!
Fantastic conversation. Thank you.
Karim is a fucking beast. True journalist to the core. Thanks for this interview, Luke.
Interview will definitely bring out the bots 😂.
This was great. Very interesting lads.
Yeah I learned a few things
Real fucking journalism
Funny i was just watching the mma hour interview between you two from 5 years ago just yesterday.
Love his work on this subtopic!
This interview was awesome
This is very informative. Keep up the great coverage!
Great interview
im in the middle of the interview and its good. I didnt know a lot about this.
Fantastic conversation!! I learned a lot from Karim. On the Social Contract point; I’m always hesitant with that type of analysis. For if the Saudi government doesn’t uphold their end of the contract, are they going to leave power? No. So there is no contract. People are not willingly giving up their freedom just to be secure, or prosperous or even just entertained.
This is great Sports journalism, Luke! Really insightful.
Quite a fascinating discussion. Not just when it comes to sports, but the general rise of the Middle East will be something to behold in the next 10-20 years.
Best video on the channel 👏
Good show old chap!! 👏👏
And yet…. Luke will still do a live chat for the ngannou fight. Absolute hypocrite
Great interview!!
Awesome interview
Karim's comment on the Saudis challenging the UFC with the PFL investment is interesting. Also, I'm surprised that the Saudi Sports minister accepted a UFC fight night and not a PPV event. If I have to guess, that's probably the best the UFC can do, given their relationship with Abu Dabi, and since the UFC is the premier promotion of mma in the US, they can use that as leverage.
With that all being said, wonder how much did Vince McMan has influenced this action? His new position as executive chairman of TKO's holding, the parent company of the UFC, and his previous relationship with the Saudis, will probably push them to do more events in Saudi Arabia.
Interesting to see how this plays out for the UFC, either they stick with Abu Dabi as their official middle eastern partner and risked competing with the Saudis' vast amount of resources, or slowly move towards Saudi Arabia and all the consequences that follows through from that decision.
Awesome work from karim, great interview
A very informative interview.
This guy gets so much shit on twitter but this is actual journalism
I’ve been following the Fury Ngannou event promo and the Saudis are making the UFC look amateurish. I think we may be witnessing the end of the UFC domination era. And that’s a good thing.
Crazy to think that what catalyzed all of this, the turning point, may have been Francis Ngannou’s decision not to take the bait and stay in the UFC. Thanks to him the world of combat sports is going to get even more exciting.
Good.
The Saudi royal family has more cash and less debt than the US, but it is a stretch to say they have more power. From a hard power perspective, it is hard to compete with the US' 13 carrier groups and large nuclear arsenal. I would argue that they also still have greater soft power in terms of its international consumer brands and media. Would be curious to hear Zidan elaborate on the power comparison at greater length.
I actually never listen to Karim. Very good interview
hopefully they don't use the doctors or ref's or judges from the last fight card
Incredible video
Luke, drop Brian today.
This is your, new partner. Tell me this isn't way more fulfilling work, than break downs.
Thanks. You remain my fav. You have a soul.
As a saudi who has lived across different eras of Saudi, I can clearly say that MBS has genuinely improved our lives to the better. And anyone who who visits can clearly see that positive change. Also the male guardianship law has been removed, absolutely incorrect what Karim said. And lastly, I'm proud to be saudi at this point especially seeing how we are standing up for the innocent Palestinian civilians, almost 7000 of which have been killed, over 2000 being children. People like Karim would be happy to live in a country that let's them "tweet" crazy things but are completely ok with their ruthless foreign policies in supporting genocidal acts. Finally, I say this, as a saudi it's so frustrating, in the past when countries told us to change and we didn't we were criticized, but now when we change completely and open up to the world with positive reforms we still get criticized. I'd just say that I'm happy and proud to be saudi 🇸🇦💚
Brother, why is MBS supporting Israel? Why was saudi having discussions on normalizing relations with Israel?
🤔 Is the current Saudi state pro or anti Zionist Israel?
Looking online, some elements of male guardianship remain.
I don't think he's ok with US foreign policy, since he mentioned the events of "this week" around 17 min in, almost certainly alluding to Gaza. One can criticise a government without thinking they've done nothing well or are worse than other governments in every aspect. But Saudi does also get unfair criticism stemming from bigotry or from people having outdated information. And people forget that countries don't change everything overnight or that every country is a work in progress.
Good for you and other Saudis whose lives have improved under MBS.
You can't vote in KSA. You have 0 rights.
"Mohammed rules an authoritarian government. There are no democratic institutions in Saudi Arabia, and repression is widespread. Islamic scholars, human rights activists, women's rights activists, journalists, former insiders, Islamists, and other political dissidents are systematically repressed through tactics including torture and jailing, and some reports have alleged that Mohammed uses a group known as the Tiger Squad to carry out extrajudicial killings. A CIA report released in 2021 implicated him of having orchestrated the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi Arabian Washington Post columnist and critic of Saudi government. "
Karim is the man!
Great interview. Although disturbing how much power and influence these authoritarian regimes are gaining over sports, it's also amusingly ironic how all these hardcore right-wing "USA! USA! Support the troops" MMA fans/fighters are in practicality dancing to the rhythm set by these same regimes.
Luke why don't you ever talk about Israeli aggression? If you wanna use your platform for awareness. That matter is the most imp one rn.
BEST
hell yea finally on mk
The Saudi's are great guys and innovators in mma, they are poised to introduce a new event: submission with bone saw.
Blood money folks... It's actually red
Still like Ariel's gossip like journalism.😅😂✌️
What an absolute treat.
My football team was bough by the Saudi PiF and they have been nothing but fantastic for our club.
Oh, wow, that must have erased all of the problems with country and their policies...
@@matepavic6929 Their problems have nothing to do with me, you cant lump the moral responsibility for a sovereign nations culture onto a group of fans.
@@jayc6428 And who the fuck did that? No one is blaming the fans, just saying that it's stupid to say - Oh, they improved my local club so they must be great guys
Saudi has made massive progress in recent years, you can't deny that. Yeah MBS likes to have people chopped up, but he's not worse than Putin or Winnie the pooh.
@@jayc6428 Well, 2 things can suck at the same time
The people who are most persecuted are the religious scholars, idk y that wasn’t also mentioned
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luke got scared when karim called the UAE and Saudi prince fragile ego little men . lol!!!!