UFC announces collaboration with FBI on March 14-15, 2026, where high-level fighters and former stars will train agents in MMA at Quantico. Involved athletes include Justin Gaethje, Jorge Masvidal, Claudia Gadelha, Chris Weidman, Michael Chandler, Manel Kape, and Renzo Gracie. Dana White praised the partnership, highlighting respect for FBI work and fighters' skills. This follows FBI Director Kash Patel's announcement amid scrutiny over UFC-Trump ties. It matters as it boosts UFC's prestige and fighter exposure; expect more joint initiatives, with Gaethje headlining UFC Freedom 250 at White House in June.
The UFC and the FBI are teaming up for a two-day training event on March 14 and 15, 2026, at the bureau's training complex in Quantico, Virginia, where a group of current and former UFC fighters will instruct federal agents in mixed martial arts fundamentals.
The roster of participants covers a wide range of experience and expertise. Justin Gaethje, Jorge Masvidal, Claudia Gadelha, Chris Weidman, Michael Chandler, Manel Kape, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Renzo Gracie are all involved. Masvidal, the 41-year-old American Top Team veteran who carries a 35-17 professional record, is one of the more decorated strikers in the group, having averaged over four significant strikes per minute across his UFC career. Weidman, 42, the former UFC middleweight champion fighting out of the Serra-Longo Fight Team, brings a well-rounded game to the table — he averages 3.27 takedowns per fifteen minutes and holds a career striking accuracy of 45 percent. Chandler, also 40, rounds out the American contingent with a 23-11 record and nearly identical striking output to Masvidal at roughly four significant strikes per minute and a 49 percent accuracy rate.
UFC President Dana White publicly praised the collaboration, citing mutual respect for the FBI's work and the elite skill set the fighters bring. The event follows FBI Director Kash Patel's announcement of the partnership, which arrives alongside broader scrutiny of the UFC's growing ties to the current political administration.
Why it matters
- The collaboration raises the UFC's profile beyond sport, positioning fighters as credible instructors in real-world self-defense contexts.
- Rankings and competitive careers aside, participation gives veterans like Weidman and Masvidal continued high-visibility platforms.
- The initiative appears to be the beginning of a broader relationship, with Gaethje set to headline UFC Freedom 250 at the White House in June.
