- Joined
- Apr 11, 2010
- Messages
- 19,224
- Reaction score
- 12,943
Since the fight is now announced in Chicago people are claiming it as proof that he was never forbidden from competing in the West. In reality, I think it may indicate more clearly that it WAS true and the fact that it changed exactly when the new administration came in is no coincidence.
The last administration was big on "you're guilty based on where you come from" logic. So the State Department under the last presidency likely banned the most exciting contender from competing in a sport in order to assert our nation's moral superiority relative to a random region called Chechnya. His crime, of course, was getting his photo taken with his ruling criminal class. That is a labeling-of-terrorism-level crime if you live in Chechnya, but isn't a crime at all if you do the same thing with the US criminal ruling class. In those instances, you better frame that up on your wall ASAP to advance your career.
So then, because countries that are more vassals than countries (England and Australia) would never NOT repeat whatever the US does, they likely banned him the second the US did, which is why we saw him being unable to compete anywhere in the Western world these past few years. Plenty of Sherdog posters here subscribed to the same philosophy with their posting: "I support stopping an athlete from a certain region from being able to compete, so therefore I am a more righteous human being. How you say? Well, Kadyrov is evil, that's how!"
This administration has a different flavor of guilt-by-region of course, but their method doesn't impact Khamzat specifically. Simply put, the State Department likely unbanned a prominent UFC athlete over his previous ban from competing, then the vassal states (again, unable to do anything other than what Daddy US does) likely followed suit.
The political-virtue-signalling of banning the most exciting contender out of the sport for no discernable reason is finally over. I am curious if all the people who blamed Khamzat for a decision that was likely up to the State Department will change course. For years I heard "fuck this guy who doesn't compete anywhere outside Abu Dhabi" then also justify why people should be banned from the sport for the crime of having their picture taken with their criminal ruling class. I think much more likely is these sorts of posters will look for a new, not-so-thinly-veiled religious reference to continue to bash him. If they can bitch about how angry they are that he celebrates Ramadan or how upset they are about how he grows his facial hair, that's probably the most tried and true way to fighter bash him now. But the "grr I am so upset he is on the next Abu Dhabi card" excuse is now off the table.
Either way, can't wait to see him compete in Chicago, this title fight should bring some much-needed interest to the sport.
The last administration was big on "you're guilty based on where you come from" logic. So the State Department under the last presidency likely banned the most exciting contender from competing in a sport in order to assert our nation's moral superiority relative to a random region called Chechnya. His crime, of course, was getting his photo taken with his ruling criminal class. That is a labeling-of-terrorism-level crime if you live in Chechnya, but isn't a crime at all if you do the same thing with the US criminal ruling class. In those instances, you better frame that up on your wall ASAP to advance your career.
So then, because countries that are more vassals than countries (England and Australia) would never NOT repeat whatever the US does, they likely banned him the second the US did, which is why we saw him being unable to compete anywhere in the Western world these past few years. Plenty of Sherdog posters here subscribed to the same philosophy with their posting: "I support stopping an athlete from a certain region from being able to compete, so therefore I am a more righteous human being. How you say? Well, Kadyrov is evil, that's how!"
This administration has a different flavor of guilt-by-region of course, but their method doesn't impact Khamzat specifically. Simply put, the State Department likely unbanned a prominent UFC athlete over his previous ban from competing, then the vassal states (again, unable to do anything other than what Daddy US does) likely followed suit.
The political-virtue-signalling of banning the most exciting contender out of the sport for no discernable reason is finally over. I am curious if all the people who blamed Khamzat for a decision that was likely up to the State Department will change course. For years I heard "fuck this guy who doesn't compete anywhere outside Abu Dhabi" then also justify why people should be banned from the sport for the crime of having their picture taken with their criminal ruling class. I think much more likely is these sorts of posters will look for a new, not-so-thinly-veiled religious reference to continue to bash him. If they can bitch about how angry they are that he celebrates Ramadan or how upset they are about how he grows his facial hair, that's probably the most tried and true way to fighter bash him now. But the "grr I am so upset he is on the next Abu Dhabi card" excuse is now off the table.
Either way, can't wait to see him compete in Chicago, this title fight should bring some much-needed interest to the sport.
