Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a memorandum of understanding with UFC President and CEO Dana White, establishing a public-private partnership.
“UFC is the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization. As an American-founded organization, the UFC has grown into a major global sports platform, reflecting U.S. leadership in modern combat sports promotion, athletic performance standards, and international event production,” the State Department said in a statement ahead of the signing. “Its events are broadcast worldwide and contribute to the United States’ broader cultural and sports influence through professional competition and athlete development.”
“The number of foreign leaders that want to come to this is unbelievable. It’s to the point where we might have a diplomatic crisis because it’s like we can’t bring everybody,” Rubio said, noting that “some of them don’t even have a fighter in the fight from their country. They just want to come because they’re fans of the support and they follow it.”
White said of the agreement, “What’s been fascinating in our run over the last 25 years is how when we go to one of these different countries, presidents of the countries or royal families from these different countries — everybody loves the fights,” and added, “the entire country rallies around them, and it’s a pretty powerful thing.”
Meanwhile, a lawsuit has been filed in an effort to stop the UFC Freedom 250 event from occurring this coming weekend. The filing, reported by The New York Post, argues that the event is unlawful, as it violates National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands. Congress did not agree to the arch surrounding the event space, the lawsuit notes.
