politics
State Department Signs Agreement With UFC for Sports Diplomacy Programs
The State Department signed a memorandum of understanding with UFC to include mixed martial arts in existing cultural exchange activities. The bureau that runs these programs has faced proposed budget cuts since January.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a memorandum of understanding with Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White on Thursday to collaborate on the global growth of mixed martial arts. The agreement places UFC within the sports diplomacy programs run by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The bureau spent around $52.5 million on citizen exchanges, including sports diplomacy and other non-academic cultural events, in fiscal year 2025.
" Officials described the arrangement as an extension of existing programs such as the Global Sports Mentoring Program for women. The bureau's budget was frozen by about 93 percent after the second inauguration and later restored by Congress. The administration has since proposed cutting the bureau's budget by 68 percent, mainly through reductions to educational programs.
January the National Football League signed a similar memorandum of understanding with the State Department to sponsor international flag football events. UFC is scheduled to host a $60 million match at the White House. A lawsuit filed Wednesday seeks to halt the White House event, describing it as the first private, for-profit sporting event on White House grounds.
The White House called the lawsuit an obstructionist and baseless tactic. Earlier this year the FBI partnered with UFC to train agents in self-defense.
