Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UFC CEO Dana White are expected to sign an agreement this week establishing a partnership between the State Department and the mixed martial arts organization, according to reporting by the New York Post.
The memorandum of understanding is scheduled to be signed Thursday and will create what the State Department described as a public-private partnership aimed at enhancing sports diplomacy initiatives and supporting the global growth of mixed martial arts.
According to the Post, the agreement comes days before President Donald Trump hosts a UFC event on White House grounds.
The planned event, scheduled for June 14, is expected to feature seven mixed martial arts fights and is being held in connection with celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The reported partnership would represent a new use of mixed martial arts as part of U.S. diplomatic outreach efforts.
Neither the State Department nor UFC had publicly released additional details about the agreement as of Monday.
The announcement also comes as a federal lawsuit seeks to block the upcoming UFC event at the White House.
