Fighting Matters

🎙️ The UFC has become more than a fight promotion—it’s a political statement. In this episode of Fighting Matters, Jeff Shaw, Stephan Kesting, and Steve Kwan sit down with journalist Albert Samaha to unpack his explosive Washington Post article, “Two Nights in Vegas with the Fan-Bros of the UFC.” What begins as a story about fandom becomes a deep dive into the cultural and political forces shaping...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan, Jesse Walker, and Shelby York react to the breaking news that B-Team Jiu-Jitsu has officially banned Jay Rod. The team discusses the statements made by both B-Team and Jay Rod and the implications for gym culture. ⸻ 👥 Featuring: Steve Kwan ‪@bjjmentalmodels‬ Jesse Walker ‪@roughhandsbjj‬ Shelby York @roughhandsog ⸻ 🧠 Topics We Cover: • What B-Team...

🎙️ A powerful conversation about identity, inclusion, and resilience in the martial arts community. In this episode of Fighting Matters, co-hosts Steve Kwan and Mike Mahaffey are joined by special guest Molly Reis, a three-stripe black belt and one of the most senior trans women in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Molly shares her journey through the sport, from competing every weekend in Texas to finding bel...

Nate Quarry fought in MMA, including The Ultimate Fighter and the UFC, between 2001 and 2010.  He's currently involved in suing the UFC for anticompetitive and monopolistic practices.  He joins us on the Fighting Matters podcast to discuss manhood, responsibility, self worth, and standing up for other people.

🎙️ A deep dive into how Trump’s anti-Canada rhetoric flipped the Canadian election—and what it means for martial artists on both sides of the border. In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan is joined by longtime friend and grappling legend Stephan Kesting for a raw, unfiltered conversation about Canada’s 2025 federal election. They unpack how the rise of MAGA-style politics north of the bo...

🎙️ A candid roundtable on tariffs, economic disruption, and the fight to preserve Jiu-Jitsu communities during hard times. In this episode of Fighting Matters, co-hosts Steve Kwan, Jesse Walker, and Jeff Shaw take a hard look at how Trump’s tariff policies and looming economic challenges are threatening Jiu-Jitsu gyms across North America. Drawing from their experiences as gym owners, content crea...

🎙️ A candid roundtable on tribalism, culture wars, and the struggle to preserve community in Jiu-Jitsu and beyond. In this episode of Fighting Matters, co-hosts Steve Kwan, Mike Mahaffey, Jesse Walker, and Timothy Lee Peterson take a hard look at how identity politics and ideological polarization are affecting the martial arts world. Drawing from their own experiences as coaches, practitioners, an...

Why do so many women quit Jiu-Jitsu—and what can we do to fix it? In this candid and eye-opening episode, Fighting Matters sits down with Shelby York of Rough Hands BJJ to talk about the real reasons women leave the sport. From casual misogyny to unsafe training environments, Shelby shares the often overlooked struggles women face in martial arts—and what coaches, training partners, and gym owners...

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan (BJJ Mental Models) is joined by Tim Lee Peterson for a candid conversation about the UFC’s growing alignment with far-right politics. They discuss how combat sports are being used as a cultural vehicle for political extremism, including the visible support of authoritarian figures and the platforming of openly fascist athletes. The discussion explor...

The word fascism gets thrown around a lot, but words have meanings and fascism does not mean “ all the things that I don’t like”. in this video, I go through the 10 pillars of fascism as laid out by Jason Stanley in his book, How Fascism Works.

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan (BJJ Mental Models), Jesse Walker (Rough Hands BJJ), and Mike Mahaffey (Magic BJJ) discuss the backlash to a recent viral post about Jiu-Jitsu’s historical links to fascism, and how that history continues to shape the culture of the sport today. They also talk about Joe Rogan’s evolving role in martial arts media, the influence of the manosphere, and...

Is Jiu-Jitsu just about choking people—or can it actually make the world better? In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan (BJJ Mental Models), Jeff Shaw (Bellingham BJJ), Jesse Walker (Rough Hands BJJ), and Mike Mahaffey (Old Bastard BJJ) dive into how martial artists are stepping up to support their communities during turbulent times. From running charity seminars for LGBTQ+ and immigrant...

Stephan Kesting, Mike Mahaffey, Jeff Shaw, and Jesse Walker have an unfiltered, deeply personal conversation about the growing political divide in the combat sports world. They discuss recent developments with Conor McGregor, Dana White, Andrew Tate, and Cain Velasquez, and the reaction of the MMA community to those events.  They also address how hero fantasies can have negative and unintended con...

In this special roundtable episode, Stephan Kesting, Steve Kwan, Jeff Shaw, and Jesse Walker for an unfiltered, deeply personal conversation about the growing political divide in the combat sports world. They tackle tough questions:  • Why has far-right ideology gained traction in Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, and pro wrestling?  • Is it really possible—or responsible—to “keep politics out of the gym”?  • How d...