Michael Chandler is wary of what’s to come from his trip to Quantico. So he’s being as cautious as possible. The FBI and UFC, in a surprising partnership, recently announced that some current and former UFC fighters from the promotion will host a training seminar on March 14 and 15 for senior FBI staff and students at the FBI Special Agent Academy in Quantico, Virginia. While former lightweight title challenger Michael Chandler, who will be part of the UFC team, is looking forward to the experience, he believes there’s a chance things can go sideways—something he wants to avoid at all costs.

“Yes, we are hand-to-hand combat experts in the cage,” Chandler told TMZ Sports. “They have their own type of training, but why not bring the two different thought processes together. Have that white belt mentality, and you can always learn something new every single day. We’re gonna go out there, do some training, chop it up, talk about different scenarios, and have a good time and get better.

“I’ve got a run of show. I’ve got a schedule, so to speak, when we get there this weekend. We’ll probably just continue to bounce ideas off of each other, and this thing will probably be a living, breathing thing as we continue to move forward.”

It’s worth mentioning, though, that it remains unclear whether Kash Patel himself will attend the event. However, the FBI director emphasized that the seminar is a major opportunity for agents to sharpen their defensive skills by learning from some of the world’s best athletes, making them better prepared to protect the country’s citizens. As such, Michael Chandler doesn’t want to be one to injure the FBI director in case he does choose to attend the seminar.

“I definitely don’t want to be the guy who breaks Kash Patel’s leg or orbital bone,” he continued. “I’m going out there to increase the stock and be of service, not put Kash Patel on the sideline—the injured reserve list. That would be an absolute nightmare. We’re gonna pull some punches. We’re going to get better, in a very responsible sort of way.”

Meanwhile, Dana White has released a statement saying he is proud to assist the FBI in strengthening its defensive techniques. In addition to Michael Chandler, others heading to Quantico include interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, former BMF champion Jorge Masvidal, former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, and several others.

Former UFC strawweight title challenger Claudia Gadelha will also be in attendance, along with flyweight Manel Kape and BJJ legend Renzo Gracie. The promotion’s matchmaker, Mick Maynard, is also expected to be present. The update regarding the training seminar comes shortly after Chandler was announced as one of the fighters set to appear on the UFC White House main card.

The 39-year-old is scheduled to face Mauricio Ruffy on June 14 on the South Lawn, on the undercard of Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje. Speaking about the upcoming event, Chandler has revealed whether fighting in front of Donald Trump and other world leaders would affect his game.

Michael Chandler admits he feels the nerves

In the same interview, Michael Chandler was asked whether he felt the pressure of fighting on the White House lawn. Chandler admitted that despite his ambition to face the toughest opponents on the biggest stages, he is still human and experiences the same nerves that come before any big event.

“Sometimes we get looked at like we’re superhuman, like we are different than the average human being,” Chandler said. “We have our own things that we deal with. And we can be distracted just like you, just like everybody who watches.

“So it’s one of those deals where you want to train, you want to focus on and be ready for those nerves and those feelings that may come.”

Even so, Chandler views the White House event as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Fighting on the White House lawn with a bunch of world leaders, possibly, and Donald Trump and his cabinet,” Chandler added. “And luckily, we got 13 and a half weeks to get ready, get built up physically, and get ready mentally and built up mentally for this process.”

Michael Chandler and several other UFC fighters have quite the task ahead of them. But the question remains: can these athletes truly provide FBI agents with knowledge that other seasoned trainers couldn’t already offer? Or is the initiative simply a PR stunt?