UFC announces global sports diplomacy partnership with U.S. State Department
· Yahoo Sports
In a development that has forever merged the worlds of combat sports and international affairs, UFC CEO Dana White and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding at the State Department headquarters.
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Dana White doesn't approve of steady growth and instead pushes the boundaries to ensure his product is exploring every possible avenue of success. That hunger has set the UFC apart from its competition over the years, and the 56-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down. Not only does the promotion have its first and likely sole event at the White House this month, but it has now signed a historic deal with the U.S. State Department on sports diplomacy that will offer further financial and promotional boosts to an organization that is already a powerhouse in the sporting world.
The importance of mixed martial arts as a sport that is capable of bringing people from different political, socioeconomic, and geographic backgrounds together was highlighted by Secretary Rubio during the agreement. Dana White had much to say regarding the new partnership:
"Obviously, we come from very humble beginnings when we first bought this company 25 years ago," White said as he stepped up to address the media at the State Department headquarters. "And we believed at that time that this thing would work everywhere and would work all over the world."
"I've always had this philosophy that, thank God, ended up being true. It doesn't matter what color you are, what country you come from, and what language you speak; we're all human beings and fighting is in our DNA. We get it and we like it."
While the government now gets to leverage the UFC's popularity, the deal has provided some significant advantages for the fight company.
Alongside a clear financial bonus that the UFC will gain from the agreement, it will also find international travel much easier. Dana White has been desperate to delve more into his market outside of North America and begin touring countries that the octagon has yet to land in.
Expanding into foreign markets and hiring arenas could have been made simpler due to their U.S. government connection. The alliance should allow the UFC to contact foreign governments, hire venues, and make business ventures less taxing.
"I've lain in my hotel rooms in England many times trying to figure out cricket. Never going to happen. But fighting, in any language, as humans, we all get it," White continued. "And what's been fascinating in our run over the last 25 years is how, you know, when we go into these different countries, presidents of the countries or royal families from these different countries, everybody loves the fights."
"More importantly, if somebody looks like you, talks like you, and comes from where you come from, and they're looked at as the best in the world when it comes to fighting, the entire country rallies around them, and it's a pretty powerful thing."
"I want to thank Secretary Rubio for all of his support... We are absolutely honored to be here and be a part of this."
While the UFC and the U.S. State Department deal is a great promotional victory, it has suffered immediate backlash.
Critics spotlight the conflict of interest the agreement has allegedly caused. Angry supporters believe that President Donald Trump is using public taxpayer money to make TKO Group Holdings, the UFC's parent company, more popular by marketing the UFC worldwide.
Earlier this year, Trump was said to have purchased stock in TKO Group Holdings, making the government's recent advertising push and subsequent sports diplomacy deal with the UFC a financial gain for the president.
Watch Secretary Marco Rubio and Dana White speak at the signing ceremony below.