(Source : Reuters) In what looks like it came straight out of an SNL skit, FBI Director Kash Patel is exploring an unconventional plan to enhance agents’ martial arts and self-defense skills by partnering with trainers from the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), according to sources familiar with the matter. The proposal, discussed during Patel’s first video conference call with the bureau’s 55 field office supervisors this week, has sparked mixed reactions within the agency.
A Surreal Idea?
During the call, Patel reportedly described the potential collaboration as a way to “beef up” agents’ physical training. Two sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said some current FBI agents found the idea “surreal” and “wacky.” The FBI declined to comment on the proposal, and a UFC official stated that the organization is “not aware of any information regarding UFC and FBI training.”
Patel’s interest in UFC training appears to have been influenced by Dan Bongino, a far-right podcaster and close ally of President Donald Trump, who was recently tapped as the FBI’s deputy director. Bongino, a self-proclaimed UFC fan, reportedly inspired Patel to consider the partnership.
The proposal also ties back to President Trump, a known fan of mixed martial arts. Trump attended a UFC event in New York days after his 2016 election victory, sitting alongside UFC President Dana White, whom he counts as a close friend. Critics of the plan argue that Patel’s interest in UFC training may be more about aligning with Trump’s preferences than addressing the FBI’s operational needs.
“There is training the FBI receives in physical altercations. If Kash Patel believed that should be beefed up, the answer is not to go to Donald Trump’s best friend who runs the UFC,” said a former Justice Department official, who requested anonymity due to concerns about retribution. “It’s clearly motivated by the glitz and glamour show, and Trump’s friend.”
A Shake-Up at the FBI
Patel’s UFC proposal is just one of several changes he has introduced since being sworn in as FBI director last week. One of his first acts was to announce the transfer of approximately 1,500 FBI employees from Washington, D.C., to field offices across the country and a new office in Huntsville, Alabama.
During Wednesday’s call, Patel reiterated his commitment to decentralizing the FBI’s operations, emphasizing the need to scale back staffing at headquarters and redistribute personnel to field offices. He also revealed that Bongino will begin visiting field offices immediately after starting his new role in mid-March.
Patel’s plans to overhaul the FBI have been met with skepticism and concern. In his book Government Gangsters, Patel called for moving the FBI headquarters out of Washington, D.C., and ending the practice of requiring agents to complete 18-month stints at headquarters to qualify for supervisory roles.
While the UFC training proposal remains in its early stages, it underscores Patel’s willingness to pursue unconventional strategies in his efforts to reshape the bureau. Whether the plan moves forward or not, it has already sparked a lively debate about the future of the FBI under its new leadership.
