Topline
FBI Director Kash Patel proposed in a Wednesday teleconference the Ultimate Fighting Championship should partner with the law enforcement agency to enhance FBI agents’ physical fitness, according to multiple outlets, one of several changes Patel has suggested as the newly confirmed head of the FBI.
Patel was sworn in as FBI director last week. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Key Facts
Patel suggested the FBI and UFC could establish a formal relationship that would bring programs to the bureau designated to support physical fitness for agents, according to ABC News, though specifics of the proposed program are unclear.
The UFC mixed martial arts promotion is headed by Dana White, an entrepreneur and longtime friend of President Donald Trump that has stumped for the president on multiple occasions.
FBI agents are required to pass a physical fitness test to become agents and are expected to maintain strength, flexibility and endurance while working the job.
The FBI declined to comment on the potential partnership.
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What Physical Training Does The Ufc Offer?
The UFC, which does not directly provide combat training to contracted fighters, has performance institutes in Las Vegas, Shanghai and Mexico. The $14 million, 30,000-square foot Las Vegas institute has a sports medicine team and clinic, diet and nutrition services, mental coaching, and strength and conditioning coaches, among other amenities.
Surprising Fact
Despite the FBI being based in Washington, D.C., Patel is a Las Vegas resident and told officials Thursday he “planned to spend a lot of time” in Sin City while directing the bureau, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Key Background
Patel was confirmed as the FBI’s director last week, with two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, voting against his confirmation. Patel, a Trump loyalist who sits on the board of Trump’s media company and has made millions of dollars off Trump merchandise and books, has vowed to put more of the FBI’s focus on domestic, violent crime around the U.S. The new FBI director also plans to move over 1,000 bureau employees out of Washington to field offices throughout the country, according to the Associated Press.
Further Reading
How FBI Nominee Kash Patel Made Millions Off His Loyalty To Trump (Forbes)
Zuckerberg Taps UFC President Dana White To Join Meta’s Board Of Directors (Forbes)