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
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 released in September. The bureau says the UFC is the sole qualified vendor, but the proposed deal would bypass the usual competitive bidding process; the FBI says it will research options 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 released in September. The proposed deal would bypass the usual competitive bidding process for federal contracts, while the bureau says the UFC is the sole qualified vendor able to provide the required training within its timeframe.
The FBI’s justification cites the UFC’s expertise in mixed martial arts, striking, grappling and takedowns. It says market research found that “no other vendor can provide comprehensive training encompassing all required skills at the necessary expertise level within the required timeframe.” That is the bureau’s assessment; the document does not establish that other providers were ruled out through a competitive solicitation.
The proposed agreement is for one year. The FBI says it would conduct further research during that period, then open a longer-term contract to competitors. The document does not specify the proposed contract’s value, the number of agents to be trained, or a start date.
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. The proposed contract would take the relationship beyond that seminar, although the agency document does not detail the curriculum or how training outcomes would be evaluated.
A Sole-Source Deal Before Competition
The proposal puts a high-profile private company in line for federal training work without the usual competitive bidding process, at least for the initial year. Sole-source contracting can be used when an agency determines a single provider meets its requirements, but that makes the FBI’s explanation for excluding alternatives central to understanding the decision.
The arrangement also carries public-interest questions because UFC CEO Dana White is a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, while FBI Director Kash Patel is a UFC fan. Those connections do not establish that the proposed contract was improperly awarded. They do mean that the bureau’s stated rationale, process and eventual contract terms are likely to face scrutiny.
For agents, the practical issue is whether UFC-affiliated instructors can deliver training that meets the bureau’s operational needs. The proposal concerns hand-to-hand combat instruction; the available document does not describe a change to agents’ duties or other FBI training programs.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From March Seminar to Contract Plan
The FBI announced a partnership with the UFC in March 2026, when fighters associated with the company delivered a two-day seminar to students at the FBI Academy in Quantico. At that time, Patel praised White, saying he had “changed the game in the mixed martial arts industry” and that the FBI was “extremely honored to be partnered with him, the professionals, and the UFC.”
White has appeared publicly with Trump, including at a UFC event held on the White House South Lawn in June to mark Trump’s 80th birthday, and spoke alongside Trump after the 2024 election. These facts provide context for the relationships surrounding the proposal, but do not by themselves show why the bureau selected the UFC.
The plan was reported by MS NOW on October 9, 2026, based on the September-released FBI document. Former FBI Hostage Rescue Team member Rob D’Amico, who also served as a bureau defensive tactics instructor, criticized the proposal to the outlet.
““The sole qualified vendor””
— The FBI, in its contract justification
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Price, Scope and Selection Evidence
The reported document does not give the contract’s price, training schedule, number of participants or detailed curriculum. It is also unclear what alternatives the FBI considered, how it assessed their qualifications, or what evidence supports the conclusion that no other vendor could meet the agency’s needs.
The proposal is not, in the supplied reporting, a completed long-term award. The FBI’s stated plan is to conduct additional research during the initial year and later invite competition for a longer-term contract. The available information does not say whether the proposed one-year agreement has been signed, when training would begin, or what standards would be used to measure its effectiveness.
D’Amico’s criticism raises a question about possible favoritism, but the source material does not establish that personal relationships drove the selection. The FBI’s procurement records and any later competition could provide more information about the decision and its cost.
hand-to-hand combat training dummy
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
FBI Research and Future Bids
The next steps depend on whether the FBI finalizes the proposed one-year agreement and releases further procurement details. Under the plan described in the agency document, the bureau would use that year to conduct additional market research before opening a longer-term contract to competing vendors.
Details to watch include the contract’s value, the scope and timing of instruction, the vendors considered, and the criteria used in any later competition. The FBI has not provided a public timeline for those steps in the information cited by MS NOW.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What is the FBI proposing?
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 released in September.
Why does the FBI say it selected the UFC?
The bureau calls the UFC the sole qualified vendor and cites its expertise in mixed martial arts, striking, grappling and takedowns. The available report does not detail which other vendors were considered.
Will the contract be competitively bid?
The proposed initial one-year agreement would bypass the usual competitive bidding process. The FBI says it plans additional research and a competitive process for a longer-term contract.
Has the FBI finalized the deal?
The reporting describes a plan to offer the contract. It does not confirm that the agreement has been signed or state when training would begin.
What is not yet known about the proposal?
The available information does not specify the contract price, training schedule, number of agents or detailed selection research. It also does not establish that personal ties influenced the FBI’s decision.
Source: fediverse
NFL season / tailgating Picks
team gear
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
