FBI Director Kash Patel rolled up to the Las Vegas UFC 313 event on Saturday. He let the world know of his presence by sharing snaps of himself posing alongside UFC CEO Dana White, manager Ali Abdelaziz and longtime Donald Trump policy advisor Richard Grenell on X, formerly Twitter.
“Only thing better than coming home to Vegas… is fight night #UFC 313,” he tweeted online. Patel and White reportedly discussed the looming collaboration between the FBI and UFC at T-Mobile Arena.
His attendance at the event shifted even more focus to his notable remarks about the potential team-up with the Ultimate Fighting Championship to train FBI agents in martial arts. Patel alluded to the partnership possibly in-the-making at one of his first conference calls after finally settling into his new job under the Trump administration.
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Dana White reacts to Kash Patel's suggestion of UFC training FBI agents
UFC president and CEO Dana White also doubled down on the conversation, confirming that the FBI director is “dead serious” about it.
{{/usCountry}}UFC president and CEO Dana White also doubled down on the conversation, confirming that the FBI director is “dead serious” about it.
{{/usCountry}}White was inevitably asked about the potential talks backstage after the UFC 313 event on Saturday. Without laying down any official plans, he addressed Patel’s comments: “After he said that my phone blew up, you know everybody wants to be the trainers to the FBI now. But he's dead serious about that, I talked to him about it tonight, yeah he's dead serious so we'll see how that starts to come together.”
In response to growing speculations, a UFC spokesperson previously told Newsweek, “UFC President and CEO Dana White knows Director Patel, but we are not aware of any information regarding UFC and FBI training.” Meanwhile, a former Justice Department official told Reuters that the idea of an FBI-UFC partnership was seemingly “clearly motivated by the glitz and glamour show, and Trump's friend,” referring to White.
Future Hall of Famer in the UFC on the potential partnership
In addition to White addressing the issue on Saturday, UFC’s big hitter Justin Gaethje weighed in on offering his help to level up FBI agents’ skills. “I would love to be part of any part of that. I love representing this country. I can't wait to fly this flag, walk into the Octagon,” he shared with TMZ Sports.
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“It's been a while since I've been proud to be an American, and we're back there. I'm excited to represent this country. Anytime anybody at that position needs my help, I'm more than willing.”
The future Hall of Fame star continued, “I think there’s more skilled people (than myself), but I got no kids, no wife. So if Patel needs somebody to out there and serve some justice, I would love to be part of that team.”