The Conor McGregor comeback is gross

In this episode of Fighting Matters, co-hosts Jesse Walker and Mike Mahaffey take on Conor McGregor's UFC comeback and the media tour selling it: a man found civilly liable for sexual assault, platformed on Jimmy Fallon like none of it happened, with no apology and no amends. They get into what redemption actually requires, why comedians stopped holding power to account, and the jiu-jitsu community's own habit of looking the other way when the person on the podium has hurt people.

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🔗 Links Mentioned:
- Old Bastard BJJ on Patreon — https://patreon.com/oldbastardbjj
- Old Bastard BJJ on Instagram — https://instagram.com/oldbastardbjj

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👥 Featuring:
- Jesse Walker — https://roughhandsbjj.com
- Mike Mahaffey — https://magicbjj.com

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🧠 Topics Discussed:
- Conor McGregor's UFC comeback and the media tour behind it
- Why the media keeps platforming people who have caused harm
- What real redemption requires, and why owning the harm is the price of it
- Whether some actions put someone past the point of a comeback
- How late-night hosts and comedians stopped holding power to account
- What your attention and your money actually endorse
- The jiu-jitsu community's habit of platforming people it shouldn't

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📖 Chapters:
00:00 — Welcome and teeing up the topic
01:16 — McGregor's comeback, and how he got here
04:47 — Turning MMA trash talk up to eleven
08:25 — Pro wrestling, except the harm is real
10:27 — The fall and the Hollywood comeback
13:23 — Does anyone deserve a comeback?
15:27 — Redemption means owning the harm
20:43 — What Mike learned in vocational rehab
26:12 — Our court jesters are failing us
32:36 — When "comedy is back" means punching down
36:37 — No redemption, and whose pocket you fill
47:33 — The IBJJF problem, and being a thoughtful consumer
55:38 — Where to find Jesse and Mike