Dana White promises that there will be nothing controversial as FBI Director Kash Patel proposes a potential partnership between the UFC and federal law enforcement in practice.
In February, Patel came to the idea of training train agents for the UFC Fighters during a meeting with the heads of all FBI field offices across the United States. The initial proposal was met with some skepticism, but the UFC CEO later revealed that he was “serious” about strengthening the partnership that Patel provides agents with the skills they use in their jobs.
Patel, avid fan and actually joined UFC 314 in Miami, spoke to White about the partnership, and the UFC CEO believes it is only beneficial for agents in this space.
“For those who don’t know, UFC fighters have been training law enforcement and military personnel for many years,” White told Fox News. “When you talk about hand-to-hand combat, these people should know Jiu-Jitsu and they should know all the different things that are fundamental to Muay Thai and mixed martial arts.
“Everyone wants to be controversial about everything. There’s nothing controversial about it. These people should be trained in all (MMAs) and they should be able to protect themselves.
There is no formal relationship yet, but White appears to believe that it will happen, and the UFC is all about supporting the FBI as much as possible.
White is right about the relationship between fighter jets and coaches working with local law enforcement offices around the world. Famous coach Greg Jackson has worked with law enforcement and SWAT team executives to run the program for many years in New Mexico.
John McCarthy, arguably the most well-known referee for hosting battles at MMA, has also worked as a tactics and self-defense instructor for the Los Angeles Police Department.
In the long run, the UFC CEO believes this relationship will only pay off against agents looking to add some new tools to the armory.
“One of these types of roles, any of these people in law enforcement, if that happens, should be able to protect themselves without a gun,” White said.