Wiley D Cope
@wileydcope.bsky.social
researcher & occasional investigative reporter (allegedly)
wileydcope@proton.me
wileydcope@proton.me
I once got a cease & desist from someone who encouraged me to share it with my 82 followers. Of course I did and now, nearly five years later, I’m thrilled to report I’ve finally hit 282. The grind never stops.
October 31, 2025 at 1:35 AM
I once got a cease & desist from someone who encouraged me to share it with my 82 followers. Of course I did and now, nearly five years later, I’m thrilled to report I’ve finally hit 282. The grind never stops.
Reposted by Wiley D Cope
Based on data in the web server, the most common website that users were referred to Rope Culture from (clicking a link that took them to the Rope Culture website) was Facebook.
October 28, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Based on data in the web server, the most common website that users were referred to Rope Culture from (clicking a link that took them to the Rope Culture website) was Facebook.
Huge thanks to Sean Craig, @tristanl.ee, and Youri van der Weide for the assists on this six month investigation.
Read the full story here:
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Read the full story here:
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Revealed: how a Russian fight club expanded into the US with the help of American neo-Nazis
Members of white supremacist ‘active clubs’ spearheaded a US expansion of a Russian fighting group that has raised money for the Kremlin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine
www.theguardian.com
October 20, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Huge thanks to Sean Craig, @tristanl.ee, and Youri van der Weide for the assists on this six month investigation.
Read the full story here:
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Read the full story here:
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
An August 2023 fight was promoted on VK as a fundraiser for Russian troops in the “special military operation” - the Kremlin’s propaganda term for the war on Ukraine - ending with “Glory to Russia!”
The PPV stream was also advertised on Instagram, but without mentioning its fundraising purpose.
The PPV stream was also advertised on Instagram, but without mentioning its fundraising purpose.
October 20, 2025 at 11:28 PM
An August 2023 fight was promoted on VK as a fundraiser for Russian troops in the “special military operation” - the Kremlin’s propaganda term for the war on Ukraine - ending with “Glory to Russia!”
The PPV stream was also advertised on Instagram, but without mentioning its fundraising purpose.
The PPV stream was also advertised on Instagram, but without mentioning its fundraising purpose.
SFC generates income selling pay-per-view fight streams. Its blue check Instagram account has over 22k followers, while their former YouTube channel was banned at 20k subscribers following inquiry by the Guardian.
Meta did not respond to requests for comment, and related SFC pages remain active.
Meta did not respond to requests for comment, and related SFC pages remain active.
October 20, 2025 at 11:11 PM
SFC generates income selling pay-per-view fight streams. Its blue check Instagram account has over 22k followers, while their former YouTube channel was banned at 20k subscribers following inquiry by the Guardian.
Meta did not respond to requests for comment, and related SFC pages remain active.
Meta did not respond to requests for comment, and related SFC pages remain active.
Andrew Lindgren, billed as “Drew,” fought at the 2024 Frontier fight tournament and took part in a bareknuckle boxing match at the PF compound in Tellico Plains TN.
SFC fighter Lucas Cheek of Tellico Plains has fought under the alias “Holler Brawler” for the amateur boxing promotion Redneck Brawl.
SFC fighter Lucas Cheek of Tellico Plains has fought under the alias “Holler Brawler” for the amateur boxing promotion Redneck Brawl.
October 20, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Andrew Lindgren, billed as “Drew,” fought at the 2024 Frontier fight tournament and took part in a bareknuckle boxing match at the PF compound in Tellico Plains TN.
SFC fighter Lucas Cheek of Tellico Plains has fought under the alias “Holler Brawler” for the amateur boxing promotion Redneck Brawl.
SFC fighter Lucas Cheek of Tellico Plains has fought under the alias “Holler Brawler” for the amateur boxing promotion Redneck Brawl.
Handlebar mustachioed Tristan Rettke has also participated in fight tournaments between Patriot Front and the Active Clubs.
In 2019, Rettke was found not guilty of civil rights intimidation after disrupting a 2016 Black Lives Matter event while he was a student at East Tennessee State University.
In 2019, Rettke was found not guilty of civil rights intimidation after disrupting a 2016 Black Lives Matter event while he was a student at East Tennessee State University.
October 20, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Handlebar mustachioed Tristan Rettke has also participated in fight tournaments between Patriot Front and the Active Clubs.
In 2019, Rettke was found not guilty of civil rights intimidation after disrupting a 2016 Black Lives Matter event while he was a student at East Tennessee State University.
In 2019, Rettke was found not guilty of civil rights intimidation after disrupting a 2016 Black Lives Matter event while he was a student at East Tennessee State University.
Thomas Grady, aka “Dagda,” is a former marine and professional MMA fighter who was first identified as a member of Tennessee Active Club by a pseudonymous researcher earlier this year.
In June, The Guardian reported TAC infiltrated and was ultimately banned from a family friendly BJJ academy.
In June, The Guardian reported TAC infiltrated and was ultimately banned from a family friendly BJJ academy.
October 20, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Thomas Grady, aka “Dagda,” is a former marine and professional MMA fighter who was first identified as a member of Tennessee Active Club by a pseudonymous researcher earlier this year.
In June, The Guardian reported TAC infiltrated and was ultimately banned from a family friendly BJJ academy.
In June, The Guardian reported TAC infiltrated and was ultimately banned from a family friendly BJJ academy.
Other SFC fighters identified in the story include Thomas Francis Denton of the Base. In 2022, Denton pleaded no contest to felony firearm & conspiracy charges in Michigan for trying to set up a “hate camp.” The Base is a designated terrorist organization in Canada & the European Union.
October 20, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Other SFC fighters identified in the story include Thomas Francis Denton of the Base. In 2022, Denton pleaded no contest to felony firearm & conspiracy charges in Michigan for trying to set up a “hate camp.” The Base is a designated terrorist organization in Canada & the European Union.
SFC America is led by Avery Ross Ruiz, aka “Panzzer,” of Texas-based Lone Star Active Club. In August, Ruiz fought in the Frontier fight tournament in Southern California between the Active Clubs and Patriot Front. Following Friday’s publication by The Guardian, Ruiz responded: “Weak ass article.”
October 20, 2025 at 10:15 PM
SFC America is led by Avery Ross Ruiz, aka “Panzzer,” of Texas-based Lone Star Active Club. In August, Ruiz fought in the Frontier fight tournament in Southern California between the Active Clubs and Patriot Front. Following Friday’s publication by The Guardian, Ruiz responded: “Weak ass article.”
SFC has promoted at least two fight tournaments in the US featuring fighters from the Active Club network, the Base, and Patria Gloria - the Patriot Front BJJ team led by PF enforcer Ian Michael Elliott. Elliott was previously revealed as an organizer of a 122-acre PF compound in Tellico Plains, TN.
October 20, 2025 at 10:03 PM
SFC has promoted at least two fight tournaments in the US featuring fighters from the Active Club network, the Base, and Patria Gloria - the Patriot Front BJJ team led by PF enforcer Ian Michael Elliott. Elliott was previously revealed as an organizer of a 122-acre PF compound in Tellico Plains, TN.