TL;DR
Get sports gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
An FBI document released in September says the bureau plans to offer the UFC an exclusive one-year contract to train special agents in hand-to-hand combat. The FBI describes the company as the only qualified vendor for the work, but the proposed deal would bypass the usual competitive bidding process. The bureau says it plans further research before soliciting bids for a longer-term contract.
The FBI plans to offer the Ultimate Fighting Championship an exclusive one-year contract to train special agents in hand-to-hand combat, according to an agency document released in September. The proposed deal would bypass the usual competitive bidding process, and the bureau says it considers the UFC the sole qualified vendor for training that meets its standards.
The FBI’s justification cites the UFC’s experience in mixed martial arts, striking, grappling and takedowns. The bureau says market research found that no other vendor could provide comprehensive instruction in all the required skills, at the required level of expertise, within the available timeframe. Those are the agency’s stated grounds for proposing an exclusive contract; the document does not establish that other providers have been tested through an open competition for this specific contract.
The proposed agreement would last one year. The FBI says it intends to conduct additional market research during that period before opening competition for a longer-term contract. The source report does not provide the proposed contract’s dollar value, the precise training schedule, or the number of agents expected to participate.
The proposal follows an FBI-UFC training partnership announced in March. At that time, current and former fighters affiliated with the UFC led a two-day seminar for students at the FBI academy in Quantico, Virginia. The September document describes a proposed contract, not confirmation that a final agreement has been signed or that the one-year training program is already underway.
A Federal Contract Without Competition
The central issue is both the training plan and the proposed method of awarding it. An exclusive deal would give the UFC a role in training federal agents without competing against other vendors for the initial one-year contract. That makes the bureau’s claim that no alternative provider meets its requirements especially relevant: the stated justification determines why the agency says it can bypass the ordinary bidding process.
The work concerns special agents’ hand-to-hand skills, making the quality and scope of instruction a matter of agency capability, not just a commercial partnership. The FBI’s plan to research the market further and seek competition for a longer-term deal could give other providers an opportunity later, but it does not resolve questions about how the initial contract will be assessed or what standards will govern that future competition.
The proposal is also attracting scrutiny because UFC chief executive Dana White has longstanding ties to President Donald Trump and his administration, while FBI Director Kash Patel is a UFC fan. Those connections are relevant context, but they do not by themselves establish why the bureau selected the company. The available material offers the FBI’s procurement rationale and an outside critic’s allegation, not evidence resolving whether the decision was influenced by personal or political relationships.
mixed martial arts training gloves
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From March Seminar to Contract Plan
The FBI announced its partnership with the UFC in March, when a group of current and former fighters affiliated with the company conducted a two-day seminar for FBI academy students in Quantico. Patel praised White at the time. According to the source report, he said White had “changed the game in the mixed martial arts industry” and that the bureau was “extremely honored to be partnered with him, the professionals, and the UFC.” The September document sets out a proposed next step: a one-year contract for agent training.
White has been a visible ally of Trump. The source report says he attended a UFC event Trump held on the White House South Lawn in June to mark Trump’s 80th birthday and spoke alongside Trump after Trump won the 2024 presidential election. These details help explain why the proposed arrangement may draw questions about relationships and procurement, but they do not prove favoritism. The FBI’s document instead points to the UFC’s combat-sports expertise and the bureau’s claimed market research.
““The sole qualified vendor””
— The FBI, in its contract justification
Contract Cost and Selection Questions
The source report does not say whether the FBI has finalized or signed the proposed agreement, how much it would cost, how many agents would receive training, or what performance measures would be used. It also does not detail which other providers the bureau evaluated or how it determined that they could not meet the requirements in time.
Whether the UFC’s political connections played any role in the proposed award remains unresolved. The FBI document offers a training-based justification, while D’Amico alleges the deal reflects a personal relationship. The material provided does not independently confirm that allegation or describe an external review of the procurement decision.
Market Research and Future Bids
Under the FBI’s stated plan, the bureau would use the proposed one-year period to conduct additional market research, then open bids for a longer-term contract to competitors. The next developments to watch are whether the initial agreement is formally awarded, what its price and training terms are, and how the bureau defines the requirements for the later competition.
The FBI has not, in the source material, announced dates for a final award or a future solicitation. Until those details are available, the one-year arrangement remains a proposal described in an agency document, and the bureau’s claim that no other vendor qualifies remains its stated justification rather than a finding tested through the planned longer-term bidding process.
Key Questions
What does the FBI plan to contract the UFC to do?
The FBI proposes a one-year contract for the UFC to train special agents in hand-to-hand combat, including skills such as striking, grappling and takedowns.
Has the FBI signed the contract?
The source report describes a plan in an agency document released in September. It does not confirm that the contract has been finalized or signed.
Why does the FBI say it wants an exclusive deal?
The bureau says market research found that the UFC was the sole qualified vendor able to cover all required skills at the necessary expertise level within the required timeframe. The source report does not detail the providers evaluated.
Will other companies get a chance to compete?
The FBI says it plans further market research during the proposed one-year contract and intends to open bids to competitors for a longer-term contract. It has not announced a timetable for that process in the source material.
Is there evidence the deal was awarded because of Dana White’s political ties?
The report notes White’s ties to Trump and Patel’s interest in the UFC, and quotes a former FBI instructor alleging favoritism. The available material does not establish that those relationships caused the proposed award; the FBI cites its assessment of the UFC’s training qualifications.
Source: fediverse
NFL season / tailgating Picks
team gear
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
