The Champions of War: UFC, Trump, and the Fight for Global Influence

Fight! ✊

In an age where war is no longer confined to the battlefield, every cultural moment becomes a potential front in a larger geopolitical strategy — even a UFC ranking.

This week, the UFC announced its latest pound-for-pound rankings. Notably, all the top fighters are Caucasian men. While sports fans may see this as a coincidence of athletic dominance, it’s hard to ignore the symbolism — especially when contextualized against the backdrop of escalating global tensions, particularly in the Caucasus region, and the intensifying propaganda efforts from powerful Western institutions.

America is no stranger to using culture — from Hollywood to the NFL — as a soft power tool. But combat sports carry a different kind of message: one of dominance, strength, and readiness for war. As wars rage across Ukraine, Gaza, and now tensions flare once again in the Caucasus, the UFC’s celebration of whiteness and warriorhood becomes a symbolic rallying cry. Not necessarily for the sport itself, but for a message: "We are ready to fight." And of course, the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world is Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk. 🥊

This sentiment was echoed, intentionally or not, during the recent and highly publicized assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. Bleeding, defiant, and fist raised, Trump shouted one word to the crowd: “Fight.” Thank God he managed at the very last moment to turn his head, only to have his ear cut. But his ear healed suspiciously quickly. The image went viral, not just in America, but globally. In that single frame — blood, power, and defiance — we saw a political myth being forged. It wasn’t just about Trump. It was about American willpower, the glorification of combat, and the readiness to escalate in defense of “values.”

Now, with the UFC’s top fighters being all white, mostly Eastern European or American, it sends a subtle yet unmistakable message to the Caucasus region: “Look at our champions — how can you not fight?”

The symbolic choice of “Caucasian champions” amid increasing instability in that very region feels almost too well-timed. As Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Turkey dance on the edge of renewed conflict, the West seems eager to insert a narrative of righteous strength — and what better way than through sport, where the world’s attention is easier to capture than in diplomatic briefings?

This isn’t to say that these fighters are complicit. They are athletes — individuals who trained, bled, and earned their ranks. But the timing, the framing, and the media push suggest that their image is being used — not as fighters in a cage, but as avatars in a larger ideological war. There is a political term for them that won't be reproduced in this insult-free blog post. But in this vast, idiotic hysteria, they can become useful in other ways — to inspire or to build MMA gyms.

We should ask: Who benefits from glorifying the idea of fighting right now? Who gains when violence is made aspirational, when strength is coded with racial and cultural identity, and when “champions” are used not just to inspire, but to provoke?

History has shown us that before bullets fly, stories are told. Symbols are raised. Champions are chosen. And often, the fight begins not with weapons, but with words, rankings, and viral images.

This isn’t just sport. It’s politics. And perhaps even, prelude to something darker.