Saudi Money Is BUYING Up American Sports

Luke Thomas: Saudi Arabia’s sportswashing hits UFC, boxing, and the Ali Revival Act debate. Is the UFC’s media deal talk and new combat-sports legislation REALLY a behind-the-scenes bargaining chip for Saudi normalization with Israel? In this clip, we walk through why that “grand negotiation” theory feels like a stretch—and why the more believable explanation is far more obvious (and more important): Saudi soft power. The conversation digs into how influence actually works in 2025—less cloak-and-dagger, more saturation. If you can establish a constant presence across major sports, entertainment, and tech, you don’t need a single secret deal. You just become part of the American mainstream. Subscribe for more unfiltered political commentary through the lens of sports, media, and power. Listen to the full conversation over on Luke’s Substack: https://lthomas.substack.com/ Chapters: 00:00 Abraham Accords theory debunked 00:24 Saudi soft power play 01:07 Why this job isn’t stress 01:59 When media platforms disappeared 02:29 The ladder disintegrates 03:17 Boxing monopoly warning 04:28 No stenography for bad actors 05:11 Waking up at 3AM 06:15 What ambition cost 07:36 Skills built for vanished world 08:03 Finding new answers