ListNook

valentine_cross Mar 28, 2026 +44

It’s not just MMA. Historically, strongman aesthetics have always been a core part of right-wing populism. It’s all about projecting that 'tough guy' image to distract from policy

44

4ivE Mar 28, 2026 +38

Also the homoeroticism of shirtless, muscular men sweatily grappling each other. And I don't mean that in a snide or cynical way, there really is a huge amount of homoeroticism in the conservative / manosphere movements.

38

Sea-Degree4173 Mar 28, 2026 +17

Robby Hoffman's standup bit about football fans who wear a shirt with another dudes name on it is hilarious, and I say that as a dude who watches football. [https://www.tiktok.com/@netflixisajoke/video/7586045962448162078](https://www.tiktok.com/@netflixisajoke/video/7586045962448162078)

17

Prestigious_Chard_90 Mar 28, 2026 +1

That was good. Thanks for the share.

1

KalutikaKink Mar 28, 2026 +3

I prefer to call it The Manscape

3

Sigmar_Heldenhammer Mar 28, 2026 +1

Part of it is to mask their insecurities. They cosplay the tough macho man to impress other dudes.

1

Commercial-Fix-9916 Mar 28, 2026 +11

Right wing ideology suffers from both superiority and inferiority complex at the same time and thus sometimes they want to show themselves tough and rest of the time they want to present themselves as victim like they believe 1% muslims are taking over USA or immigrants taking over USA.

11

Foojira Mar 28, 2026 +5

Don’t forget people with dyed hair that’s a threat again somehow

5

No_Celery_5373 Mar 28, 2026 +21

Obsession with combat has been a hallmark of the American right for as long as I can remember As a laser engraver, holy c*** the tacky stuff Americans do to their guns in particular ~ those poor guns.. Nothing says peak American like a Trump supporter who has CONSTITUTION or quotes from the bible written on their gun they have been dreaming about using on someone for years while the constitution gets used as toilet paper.

21

EX0PIL0T Mar 28, 2026 +3

As someone with access to a laser engraver, d*** and balls go on everything and anything

3

zomboscott Mar 28, 2026 +16

It's a proven fact that brain damage causes republicanism. Ask Fetterman or RFK jr's brain worm.

16

CT_Phipps-Author Mar 28, 2026 +5

Fetterman was always a piece of c***. He was just up against Doctor Oz. He was the proverbial kick in the nuts versus being set on fire.

5

Wepwawet_the_Opener Mar 28, 2026 +3

I don't agree he was *always* a piece of c***. When he was Lt. Gov in PA he was definitely standing up and working for progressive causes. He seemed like the obvious choice against Oz. But something's definitely wrong with the guy now. He's missed over 20% of the Senate votes his first year. He consistently votes with the Republicans, and approves Trump's awful appointments.

3

ConferenceHappy6906 Mar 28, 2026 +17

So I'm a Muay Thai photographer (usually photograph Americans), it's really sad to see people I used to respect go down this hole. I'm probably going to stop covering Americans soon if I'm being honest because their hateful BS.

17

WasteAd7284 Mar 28, 2026 +9

For their obsession with " traditional" masculinity most right wingers are scrawny under 40s or fat middle aged+ men. Had one step towards me at a protest, and i did likewise. He backed up when he finally realized i had a foot and 100 pounds on him.

9

Ok-Annual50 Mar 28, 2026 +5

Trump couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag

5

JackBurton___Me Mar 28, 2026 +4

It’s compensating and it’s obvious

4

DocQuanta Mar 28, 2026 +4

This. So much of the right is deeply insecure about their masculinity.

4

ToArgueWithAssholes Mar 28, 2026 +4

He ran a World Wrestling Campaign. Everything was fake: the audience was paid, the stories were fake, they brought the signs for people to hold, lies about the size of the audience...

4

operationd00msday Mar 28, 2026 +3

The whole thing with Wrestlemania IV being hosted at his c***** was exaggerated. It was the convention center nearby. They still lavishly praised him on the broadcast. Like so many Trump things it started with a lie.

3

HotDogFingers01 Mar 28, 2026 +6

Bunch of fake tough guy toxic masculinity for people who really are deeply insecure

6

sxyaustincpl Mar 28, 2026 +5

Regardless of occupation, people like Dana White, Joe Rogan, Colby Covington, Bryce Mitchell, these are some horrible human beings.

5

SociopathicRascal Mar 28, 2026 +1

I believe all of the fighters who supports Trump have lost bad in the cage. Covington got his ass handed to him by Usman after Trump backed Covington

1

VoiceOfTheSoil40 Mar 29, 2026 +2

Which was a delight to watch tbh.

2

TheRealMrMaloonigan Mar 28, 2026 +3

Way way way back - when UFC first started going really mainstream, the amount of right winger "bros" that started taking an interest in MMA really drove me right the f*** away. Saw this coming from miles and miles away.

3

CT_Phipps-Author Mar 28, 2026 +3

I love combat sports and think of the martial arts as a beautiful part of human history. I f****** hate MAGA's association with it.

3

Embarrassed-Pride776 Mar 28, 2026 +5

MMA? GROSS. If I wanted to watch two guys making out I would just look at the mirror above my bed.

5

Public-Summer-4281 Mar 28, 2026 +2

I smell a Heated Rivalry spinoff in the works.

2

mjb85858 Mar 28, 2026 +2

While you can fault the NFL for many many many things, the one thing that does matter to them is growing the brand. They know damn well if they want to be in other countries, they can’t be out right disrespecting them. Oh no, the magas want to stop watching? Now we have three more countries in Europe hosting games to grow the sport there.

2

Public-Summer-4281 Mar 28, 2026 +3

Nothing says "Republican" like sports. Teaches you to follow and not question authority, and tells you that you can (and deserve) to be better than those around you, enforces nationalism... It's CPAC with a referee! MMA being a bloodsport is just the natural evolution of the brutality that conservatives embrace.

3

Return0fTheNerd Mar 29, 2026 -2

This is the dumbest shit Ive read all day. You could just say youre fat without writing a novel 😂

-2

Waste-Time-2440 Mar 28, 2026 +2

Toxic masculinity as a religion and a political movement.

2

ChaoticSenior Mar 28, 2026 +2

Gross sport attracts gross people. Shocking.

2

KopOut Mar 28, 2026 +1

People are attracted to what they want to f*** or be fucked by. It’s a story as old as time.

1

AverageGatsby91 Mar 28, 2026 +1

Trump Taj Mahal was a very important piece of the UFC brand in its early days, when it was struggling massively Trump, like the idiot he is thought he could do it better and bankrupted an organization, Affliction, after 2 events.

1

NegotiationTall4300 Mar 28, 2026 +1

Sounds kinda gay

1

VoiceOfTheSoil40 Mar 29, 2026 +1

I still like combat sports don’t get me wrong, but I haven’t watched a UFC event in well over a decade at this point. The UFC was falling off well before Dana White and co. jumped into the deep end with the right wing. And the thing is that you don’t have to be any kind of right wing to enjoy combat sports of all kind. I’m certainly not. You don’t have to be right wing to appreciate true skill, or enjoy a good old fashioned brawl, but so many of these troglodytes just don’t get that.

1

IckyJ2112 Mar 29, 2026 +1

They love violence. Then they love projecting that violence and blaming “the Libs”.

1

ButtSpelunker420 Mar 29, 2026 +1

UFC is trashy as shit

1

Feral80s_kid Mar 28, 2026 +1

“Feed them and entertain them…” _Rome

1

HolldayReward Mar 28, 2026 +1

Combat sports have always been the ultimate meritocracy for the right wing. It’s the one place where you can’t identify as a w***** you either have the chin for it or you don't. Seeing a billionaire and a cage fighter in the same ring is just the modern version of the Roman Games.

1

RoosterMedical Mar 28, 2026 +1

Violent gay p***, basically.

1

NurglesGiftToWomen Mar 28, 2026

This is off the top of my head but, when leftists in the Spain(?) were fighting fascists in the streets, they too put heavy emphasis on martial arts. The thing was, when there wasn’t much need for fights anymore because the fascists weren’t demonstrating as often, the antifa aligned groups eased up. A lot of the groups dissolved. Swords to plowshares. Fascists push for constant aggression to maintain power. When leftism is ascendant, violence can be put aside.

0

terra_cotta Mar 28, 2026

its shrimp d*** mentality.

0

TheGargageMan Mar 28, 2026 -1

They have nice bodies too.

-1

MAGA’s Infatuation With MMA Is Part Of A Long History Between Combat Sports And The Right Wing

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