I have met almost every MMA journalist at one time or another, but not Karim Zidan - then I realised that the reason he doesn't attend events is that his writing about sport and politics, and in particular about MMA and some of the former Soviet republics - means that it's not safe for him to attend.
In a world powered by social media, blogs and fan-generated content, Karim's work in untangling the web of "sportswashing" is absolutely crucial to understanding how and why tyrants use athletes like Mohamed Salah and Khabib Nurmagomedov to rebrand themselves and their regimes.
Living Life Looking Over Your Shoulder - Karim Zidan On Covering Sport And Politics