Rubio inks public-private partnership with UFC ahead of WH cage fights

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with UFC to create a public-private partnership with the mixed martial arts company ahead of this weekend’s cage fights on the White House’s South Lawn. Rubio referred to the UFC as the “United Nations of fighting” in his Thursday remarks lauding the company for bringing together athletes from different countries. “We are so divided by so many different things, you know, we get our news from different places, we follow different accounts online, we do everything separate from one another in this country, and I would say increasingly around the world, we are so polarized,” the secretary of State said. “There are only a handful of things that bring people together in one place at one time, united by their interest in one thing. We need more of those, we need more of those forms and those settings in which we can bring people together to enjoy something together and find something in common, and if you’ve been to UFC fights and I’ve been to many, and you look into the crowd, the crowd is as diverse as you can imagine,” he added. Rubio said the public-private partnership aims to promote sports diplomacy, similar to the Trump administration’s memorandum of understanding with the NFL signed earlier this year. Some, however, have raised concerns about White House’s ties to the UFC, noting President Trump’s investment in the parent company TKO and the ethical issues around Sunday’s cage matches, which have cost at least $60 million to put on. Trump is also friends with UFC President and CEO Dana White. UFC is selling VIP packages costing between $1 million and $1.5 million per person, according to reporting cited in a recent lawsuit seeking to block the fight from occurring. The lawsuit also raises alarms over companies “clambering over each other to see their brands plastered adjacent to the Executive Residence and Reflecting Pool.” “And the UFC’s broadcast partner, Paramount Skydance—which is run by two other Trump allies, Larry and David Ellison—has decided that no American will be able to take in this “celebration of America” without first paying $8.99 plus tax for a Paramount Plus streaming subscription,” it continues. A Trump administration official told The Hill the lawsuit is “obstructionist, baseless, and dilatory” while comparing the upcoming UFC fights to previous events on the South Lawn, including the annual Easter Egg Roll.