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The FBI plans to offer the UFC an exclusive one-year contract to train special agents in hand-to-hand combat, according to an agency document reported by MS NOW. The proposed deal would bypass the usual competitive bidding process; the bureau says it will research the market during the year before seeking 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 reported by MS NOW. The proposed arrangement would bypass the usual competitive bidding process, while the bureau says it intends to conduct more market research before seeking bids for a longer-term contract.
The FBI’s justification, as described in the September document, calls the UFC the “sole qualified vendor” able to provide tactical instruction meeting the bureau’s standards. It cites the company’s experience in mixed martial arts, including striking, grappling and takedowns. The bureau said its market research found no other vendor able to provide the full range of required skills at the necessary level of expertise within the required timeframe.
The proposal is for one year, rather than a permanent arrangement. The FBI says it would use that period to conduct further research and then open a longer-term contract to competitors. The reported document does not establish that the proposed agreement has been awarded or that training under the contract has begun.
The plan follows an FBI-UFC training partnership announced in March. A group of current and former fighters affiliated with the UFC led a two-day seminar for FBI academy students in Quantico, Virginia. FBI Director Kash Patel praised UFC chief executive Dana White at the time, saying the bureau was “extremely honored to be partnered with him, the professionals, and the UFC.”
The Stakes of a Sole-Source Deal
The proposal matters because it would direct a federal training contract to one private company without the usual competition at the outset. An exclusive one-year award could give the UFC a paid role in preparing federal agents, while limiting other training providers’ chance to compete for that initial work. The FBI’s stated plan to seek competition for a longer-term contract is a separate step, and it does not change the proposed one-year arrangement.
The bureau’s rationale is that the UFC can meet the training requirements within the available timeframe and at the required level. The choice also draws attention to the relationship between agency leadership and the company: White is a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, and Patel is a UFC fan. Those connections are relevant context, but they do not by themselves establish that the proposed contract was awarded because of personal ties.
Rob D’Amico, a former FBI Hostage Rescue Team member and bureau defensive tactics instructor, disputed the rationale. He told MS NOW: “This is just Patel giving his friend Dana White a lucrative contract.” That is D’Amico’s characterization, not a finding by the FBI or evidence in the reported document. The available report does not provide contract pricing or an independent assessment of whether other providers could meet the requirements.
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From March Seminar to Contract Plan
The FBI and UFC first publicly announced a training partnership in March 2026, when UFC-affiliated fighters held a two-day session for students at the FBI academy in Quantico. Patel commended White and the UFC during that announcement. The newly reported proposal would take the relationship beyond that seminar by setting out a one-year contract for agent training.
White has been a visible ally of Trump and his administration. He spoke alongside Trump after Trump won the 2024 presidential election and attended a UFC event Trump held on the White House South Lawn in June 2026 for his 80th birthday, according to MS NOW. These events provide context for the relationship, but the FBI’s stated basis for the proposed contract is the UFC’s claimed ability to supply the specified instruction.
““The sole qualified vendor””
— FBI document, as reported by MS NOW
hand-to-hand combat training for law enforcement
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Award Status and Contract Terms
The reported document describes a plan to offer the UFC a contract; the available source does not confirm that the agreement has been signed, when training would start, or how much the contract would be worth. It also does not spell out the curriculum, the number of agents to be trained, or how the FBI would measure the instruction’s effectiveness.
The bureau’s claim that no other vendor can meet the requirements is its stated market-research conclusion. The report does not detail which providers were considered, what alternatives were evaluated, or how the FBI will assess the market during the contract year. It is also unclear what process or schedule the bureau will use to open competition for the longer-term contract.
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Further Research and Open Bidding
Under the plan described by MS NOW, the FBI would first offer the UFC a one-year contract and conduct additional market research during that period. The bureau says it would then open bids for a longer-term arrangement to competitors. The report does not give a date for that competition or say whether the initial offer has been finalized.
The next concrete developments to watch are confirmation of an award, publication of its terms and cost, and details on how the FBI will evaluate other vendors. Until those are available, the proposal’s final status and the scope of any UFC-led training remain unsettled.
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Key Questions
Has the FBI awarded the UFC the contract?
The report describes an FBI plan to offer the UFC an exclusive one-year contract. It does not confirm that the contract has been signed or awarded.
What would the UFC train FBI agents to do?
The proposed instruction is in hand-to-hand combat and tactical skills. The FBI document cited by MS NOW refers to mixed martial arts skills including striking, grappling and takedowns.
Why would the contract be exclusive?
The FBI says its market research identified the UFC as the sole vendor able to provide all required skills at the needed expertise level within the timeframe. The report does not detail which other providers were evaluated.
Would other companies get a chance to compete?
The FBI says it plans to conduct further research during the one-year contract and then open bids for a longer-term deal. The timing and process for that competition have not been specified in the report.
What is not yet known about the proposal?
The contract’s final award status, value, start date, training schedule and number of agents involved are not established in the reported material. The FBI’s planned evaluation of competing vendors also remains to be detailed.
Source: fediverse
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