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16-03-2026
WASHINGTON: Ultimate Fighting Championship athletes will train FBI agents this week, both organizations say.
Current and former UFC fighters will visit the FBI Special Agent Academy in Quantico, Virginia this weekend for a “training seminar” for senior FBI staff and students.
FBI Director Kash Patel called it “a tremendous opportunity” for agents “to learn and train with some of the greatest athletes on Earth”, adding that it will help the agency “be even better prepared to protect the American people”.
Donald Trump, who has attended UFC fights while serving as US president, is planning to host an event with the brand at the White House in June.
UFC CEO Dana White said in a statement that the organization was “proud to support the FBI in strengthening their defense techniques”.
The FBI said the fighters will offer “insight into how they train for competition” and demonstrate specific techniques and tactics.
White’s friendship with the president dates back to the early 2000s, when Trump hosted some of the first ever UFC events at his business properties.
White said UFC fighters were “some of the baddest men and women on the planet and they are heading to Quantico to train the best FBI agents in mixed martial arts”.
The athletes heading to Quantico include interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethe, the first UFC BMF champion Jorge Masvidal, former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman and former UFC lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler.
Media has contacted the FBI for further comment.
Trump announced plans last year for this summer’s unprecedented UFC show at the White House to mark 250 years since the US Declaration of Independence.
While the UFC has not confirmed its full plans for the event, White has said he expects around 5,000 spectators to attend the show, which will take place an octagon on the South Lawn, along with around 80,000 fans watching at a nearby park in Washington.
Trump has said the fights on the card will be the “biggest they’ve ever had”.
Last month, the UFC will spend around $60m (£44.3m) on its one-of-a-kind event at the White House, according to TKO Group Holdings chief Mark Shapiro.
The promotion is set to host an unprecedented show at the White House on 14 June to mark 250 years of American independence.
US President Donald Trump announced the plans last year, which have been confirmed by UFC president Dana White and the promotion’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings.
The UFC will not profit from the event, according to TKO president and chief operating officer Shapiro, who sees the show as “an investment for the long term” which is about “earned media”.
He added that TKO is working with “corporate partners”, whose investment he hopes will offset about $30m (£22.2m) of the cost.
“I want to be clear about something; we will not profit from the White House event independently. We will not be making money on America’s 250th anniversary,” said Shapiro.
“Bottom line is, it’s still a moving target. Even if that $60m goes up, or rides up on us, we believe we can offset half of spend. Today, we see it as $60m offsetting $30m.”
The UFC has not confirmed its full plans for the event, but White has said he expects there to be around 5,000 spectators for the show on the White House South Lawn.
He added there will be around 80,000 further fans watching at a nearby park in Washington DC called the Ellipse. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
