The 250th, ADCC, and Izaak Michell

In this episode of the Fighting Matters podcast, Steve Kwan is joined by Jesse Walker of Rough Hands BJJ and Mike Mahaffey of Old Bastard BJJ on the eve of America's 250th Fourth of July. They open with whether there's anything left to celebrate and end up somewhere harder: the same instinct to look away that got the country here is alive in jiu-jitsu too. The clearest example is Izaak Michell, invited to ADCC while wanted in Texas on sexual assault warrants, and the string of accused and convicted men the sport keeps platforming anyway.🔗 Links Mentioned:- The Find Out Podcast, "Ex-MAGA influencer explains why he abandoned Trump" — https://youtu.be/ylPlpgQygdU- Magic BJJ — https://magicbjj.com⸻👥 Featuring:- Steve Kwan — https://bjjmentalmodels.com- Jesse Walker — https://roughhandsbjj.com- Mike Mahaffey — https://instagram.com/oldbastardbjj⸻🧠 Topics Discussed:- America's 250th and the state of the July 4th "celebration"- Rebuilding the country instead of defending the old institutions- The normalization that links national politics to jiu-jitsu- Izaak Michell, his ADCC invite, and the Texas arrest warrants- Josh Saunders, Nazi salutes, and the "keep it non-political" excuse- Why "innocent until proven guilty" doesn't settle the ethics- How the sport risks going radioactive the way MMA once did- Redemption tours, silence, and what speaking up actually does⸻📖 Chapters:00:00 — Big heads, Ace of Bass, and July 4th02:40 — America's 250th: did the country even make it?06:33 — Rebuilding the country, not restoring it10:29 — Mask-off politics, the courts, and the truth18:23 — How a MAGA influencer's fever broke20:36 — Holding your nose, in politics and on the mats24:10 — Who is Izaak Michell, and why ADCC invited him30:01 — Josh Saunders and "keep it non-political"35:34 — "Innocent until proven guilty" isn't a free pass40:15 — What happened to MMA could happen to jiu-jitsu44:47 — What will you tell your grandkids?49:19 — No clean leagues left for ethical athletes51:44 — The redemption tour: Tyson, McGregor, and ADCC53:07 — What we can actually do about it56:50 — Closing thoughts and where to find everyone