Following reports that Kash Patel has floated the idea of teaming up with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to train FBI agents in martial arts, UFC president and CEO Dana White said on Saturday that the FBI director is “dead serious” about it.
Newsweek has reached out to the UFC via email and the Department of Justice, which oversees the FBI, by online form for comment on Sunday.
Why It Matters
Patel, one of President Donald Trump‘s more controversial picks to lead an agency, took office after a narrow Senate confirmation vote saw him avoid a deadlock by one vote in a 51-49 split. He has since hit the ground running with a complete overhaul of the FBI, including plans to relocate up to 1,000 employees to field offices around the country and 500 employees to an FBI office in Huntsville, Alabama.
White and the UFC have been seen as key bases of support for Trump as White is a vocal supporter of Trump’s political rise, having spoken at the Republican National Convention in support of him in 2016 and 2024. The two have also been seen attending UFC fights together. In January, White joined the board of Meta, Facebook‘s parent company, expanding his influence beyond UFC.
What To Know
In late February, Reuters reported that Patel revealed the idea of a partnership with the UFC to train FBI agents in martial arts and self-defense skills during a video conference call with FBI field offices.
Two people briefed on the matter told Reuters that the idea was “surreal” and “wacky.” Patel credited Trump’s pick for deputy director, conservative podcast host Dan Bongino, with inspiring the idea after urging his new boss to try UFC training.
Details about how the partnership would work were not clear to those briefed on the matter.
Speaking to reporters backstage after a UFC 313 event on Saturday, in which Patel attended, White was asked about the idea and if there had been further discussions about the potential partnership.
While White did not offer any further details on the potential partnership, he said that Patel is “dead serious” about the idea.
“After he said that my phone blew up, you know everybody wants to be the trainers to the FBI now. But he’s dead serious about that, I talked to him about it tonight, yeah he’s dead serious so we’ll see how that starts to come together,” White said.
A former Justice Department official told Reuters that the idea appeared to be “clearly motivated by the glitz and glamour show, and Trump’s friend,” referring to White.
What People Are Saying
A UFC spokesperson previously told Newsweek: “UFC President and CEO Dana White knows Director Patel, but we are not aware of any information regarding UFC and FBI training.”
Senator John Curtis, a Utah Republican, on X, formerly Twitter following Patel’s confirmation: “Americans expect to see change within the FBI, and I believe Kash Patel can deliver that. My primary concern with his nomination was ensuring he would approach the role without political bias—an essential quality for any FBI Director. After careful consideration, I plan to vote yes on his confirmation.”
Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican who voted “no” on Patel’s nomination, in a statement in February: “While Mr. Patel has had 16 years of dedicated public service, his time over the past four years has been characterized by high profile and aggressive political activity. Mr. Patel has made numerous politically charged statements in his book and elsewhere discrediting the work of the FBI, the very institution he has been nominated to lead.”
Frank Montoya Jr., a retired FBI agent, told CNN in February that Patel’s confirmation is a “radical” change to the bureau: “I served under four directors in 27 years in the FBI and no one came in with these few qualifications, with this guy’s background, with the conspiracy theory angles. Just all of the things that he has said on podcasts and written in his book, it makes you wonder where the bureau is going to be heading next. It’s just, I don’t know, befuddling to me.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, praised Patel on the Senate floor in February: “I look forward to working with Mr. Patel to restore the integrity of the FBI and get it focused on its critical mission.”
What Happens Next
While Patel has yet to formally announce the program or idea, it will likely go through Trump—due to the president’s close, personal relationship with White—before implementing any such plan.
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