UFC and FBI Launch Training Partnership at Quantico Academy

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced a groundbreaking collaboration on March 12, 2026, to conduct a two-day training seminar for FBI special agents at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Scheduled for March 14-15, the event will feature UFC athletes and coaches sharing mixed martial arts (MMA) techniques, conditioning methods, and mental preparation strategies with academy trainees and senior staff. UFC CEO Dana White highlighted the initiative, stating, “Our UFC fighters are some of the baddest men and women on the planet. They are heading to Quantico to train the best FBI agents in mixed martial arts. We’re proud to support the FBI in strengthening their defense techniques.”

FBI Director Kash Patel praised the partnership, calling it “a tremendous opportunity for our FBI agents to learn and train with some of the greatest athletes on earth,” adding that it will enhance the agency's readiness to protect Americans. Patel, a known UFC enthusiast, noted the collaboration aligns with modernizing FBI training under his leadership.

The seminar will be led by UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard and include elite fighters such as interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, former "BMF" champion Jorge Masvidal, former middleweight champion Chris Weidman, lightweight contender Michael Chandler, MMA legend Renzo Gracie, and contenders Claudia Gadelha and Manel Kape.

Training focuses on close-quarters combat, takedown defense, clinch work, mental resilience, and high-intensity interval conditioning, drawing from UFC Performance Institute protocols to improve agents' physical and tactical capabilities. This marks the first such UFC-FBI joint effort, serving as a lead-up to the "Freedom Fights 250" UFC event planned for the White House South Lawn on June 14, 2026, coinciding with President Donald Trump's birthday and America's 250th anniversary.