U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UFC President and CEO Dana White signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday to promote sports diplomacy [1].

The partnership seeks to use the UFC's global platform to project American leadership and influence through the medium of modern combat sports. By aligning the State Department with a private sports organization, the U.S. aims to reach international audiences that traditional diplomatic channels may not engage.

The agreement was signed June 11, 2026 [2], at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. [3]. The public-private partnership is designed to showcase U.S. leadership in international event production, and athletic performance standards [4].

Rubio said that the UFC is the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization. He said that as an American-founded organization, the UFC has grown into a major global sports platform, reflecting U.S. leadership in modern combat sports promotion, athletic performance standards, and international event production [4].

This diplomatic initiative coincides with the upcoming UFC Freedom 250 event [5]. The event is expected to draw thousands of fans [6].

The memorandum of understanding establishes a framework for the UFC to assist the U.S. government in leveraging sports as a tool for soft power. This strategy utilizes the global popularity of mixed martial arts to foster connections, and project a specific image of American cultural and professional excellence on the world stage [1, 4].

“UFC has grown into a major global sports platform, reflecting U.S. leadership in modern combat sports promotion”

This partnership represents a shift toward 'soft power' diplomacy by utilizing high-visibility private entertainment brands to achieve geopolitical goals. By formalizing a relationship with the UFC, the U.S. government is attempting to tap into a global youth demographic and a worldwide fan base that views the organization as a pinnacle of athletic competition, thereby associating American brand management and leadership with global sporting success.