FBI Director Kash Patel has floated the idea of teaming with the Ultimate Fighting Challenge (UFC) to train agents in martial arts, according to a report.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Justice, which oversees the FBI, by submission form on Thursday afternoon for comment.
Why It Matters
Patel took office after a narrow Senate confirmation vote that saw him avoid a deadlock by one vote in a 51-49 split. He 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 to an FBI office in Huntsville, Alabama.
Patel now has partnered with President Donald Trump’s pick for deputy director, conservative podcast host Dan Bongino, who will visit the field offices starting in mid-March.
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What To Know
The next step in Patel’s overhaul may include a partnership with UFC to train FBI agents in martial arts and self-defense skills, Reuters reported, citing four people familiar with the plan.
Patel revealed the idea during a video conference call with FBI field offices on Wednesday. Two people briefed on the matter told Reuters that the idea was “surreal” and “wacky.” Patel credited Bongino, himself a huge UFC fan, 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.
A former Justice Department official told the outlet that the idea appeared to be “clearly motivated by the glitz and glamour show, and Trump’s friend,” referring to UFC CEO Dana White.
Trump and some of his allies, including Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, Kid Rock and others, have attended UFC fights, usually sitting with White. Trump even visited a UFC fight within a week of winning the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
What People Are Saying
A UFC spokesperson 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 Dick Durbin, at Kash Patel’s confirmation hearing: “The nation needs an FBI director who understands the gravity of this mission and is ready on day one, not someone who is consumed by his own personal political grievances.”
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.”
What Happens Next
Patel has yet to formally announce the program or idea, and will likely go through Trump—due to the president’s close, personal relationship with UFC owner White—before implementing any such plan.
