“Human cockfighting,” as Senator John McCain once called it, was a label that UFC had to face. But back in 2001, when the UFC was struggling to secure venues for its events, Donald Trump stepped in to help during a critical period. At a time when the UFC was facing opposition from 36 state governors, Trump offered his Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, marking a pivotal moment in the organization’s history. Since then, Dana White has viewed Trump as a “close friend.” Fast forward to 2024, even as Trump dealt with backlash and legal battles related to the Capitol Hill attack, Dana White continued to support his friend, backing him during the election.

White publicly praised Trump, calling him the “toughest human being,” which contributed to Trump’s significant win in the 2024 presidential election. Now, POTUS’ administration is once again seeking the UFC’s help. With Trump assuming the role of the 47th President of the United States, there have been major shake-ups within the government, including the FBI, coming under his influence. In this new chapter, Trump appointed Kash Patel, an Indian-origin fight fan, as the 9th Director of the FBI.

In light of this, Patel has proposed collaborating with the UFC to help keep FBI agents healthy by training them in martial arts and self-defense, a suggestion that has certainly raised eyebrows. During a recent teleconference with 55 FBI division heads, Patel pitched this idea, as reported by ‘MMAFighting.’

While the UFC has yet to confirm the partnership, UFC fighters like Jon Jones and Eddie Alvarez have already shown interest. For instance, ‘Bones’ shared a TMZ Sports post about the rumored UFC-FBI collaboration on his Instagram story while Alvarez even offered his gym to the FBI, stating, “All agents are welcome.” and tagged his ‘Underground Kings’ gym in the comment.

As a seasoned veteran in the sport, Alvarez is not only a former UFC champion but also a former Bellator champion. Now in the later stages of his career, Alvarez owns multiple gyms across the United States, including Alvarez Family Boxing, Underground Kings, and Newtown Performance Institute. Despite the growing interest, the UFC-FBI partnership remains speculative, with confirmation still pending from Dana White. So, what are the reactions to this potential collaboration? Let’s explore further.

Former and current Federal officers chime in on their take on the potential Dana White-Kash Patel collaboration

FBI agents training with the UFC? Anonymous and current FBI agents, who shared their thoughts with the media outlet Reuters, have described the initiative as “surreal” and “wacky.” However, for a former Justice Department official, the collaboration between the UFC and the FBI is seen as a misuse of taxpayers’ money. A retired official, speaking to Reuters, emphasized that FBI agents already receive extensive training in physical altercations at the FBI’s own training facility.

“There is training the FBI receives in physical altercations. If Kash Patel believed that should be beefed up, the answer is not to go to Donald Trump’s best friend who runs the UFC. It’s clearly motivated by the glitz and glamor show, and Trump’s friend,” the retired officer stated.

The UFC, in addition to its events, operates several performance institutes that are open for public enrollment, as evidenced by the incident when gloves were thrown during a livestream with Sean Strickland. While UFC fighter training could potentially elevate the physical fitness of FBI agents, Rich Frankel, the former special agent in charge of the FBI, shared this perspective. He told ABC News, “If they’re trying to improve their physical fitness, the UFC provides a very specific approach to fitness.”

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What do you think about the potential FBI-UFC collaboration? Do you believe it’s merely for “glamor,” with taxpayers’ money being wasted, given that FBI agents already undergo sufficient training? Share your thoughts below.