UFC Fighters to Train FBI Agents at Quantico

The FBI director calls it a "tremendous opportunity" for agents to learn from top MMA athletes.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 7:51pm

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The FBI has tapped several top UFC fighters, including matchmaker Mick Maynard and stars like Chris Weidman, Jorge Masvidal, and Michael Chandler, to lead a training session for agents at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The two-day event will focus on teaching agents combat techniques and tactics from the perspective of elite MMA athletes.

Why it matters

This collaboration between the UFC and the FBI is an unusual pairing, as the bureau typically relies on its own in-house experts for agent training. However, the FBI director believes the MMA fighters can provide a "unique perspective" to help agents be "even better prepared to protect the American people."

The details

The training session will take place over the weekend at the FBI Academy in Quantico. The UFC fighters will demonstrate specific techniques and tactics, as well as provide insight into their own training regimens for competition. However, the exact combat skills that will be covered were not specified in the announcement.

  • The training session is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, March 12-13, 2026.

The players

Kash Patel

The current director of the FBI who announced the collaboration with the UFC.

Mick Maynard

The UFC's matchmaker who will be leading the training session at Quantico.

Chris Weidman

A UFC fighter known by the nickname "The All-American" who will be participating in the training.

Jorge Masvidal

A UFC fighter known by the nickname "Gamebred" who will be participating in the training.

Michael Chandler

A UFC fighter known by the nickname "Iron" who will be participating in the training.

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What they’re saying

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our FBI agents to learn and train with some of the greatest athletes on earth — helping the world's premier law enforcement agency be even better prepared to protect the American people.”

— Kash Patel, FBI Director (UFC)

“The FBI has a full complement of people who know how to train agents going out into the field in hand-to-hand combat. I don't see the benefit of having UFC fighters demonstrating for FBI agents how to beat people up.”

— Chip Massey, Former FBI Agent (NBC News)

What’s next

The FBI has not announced any plans for future collaborations with the UFC beyond this initial training session at the Quantico Academy.

The takeaway

This unusual partnership between the FBI and the UFC highlights the bureau's efforts to leverage expertise from outside its own ranks to enhance agent training and preparedness. While some former agents are skeptical, the FBI director believes the MMA fighters can provide a valuable new perspective that will ultimately benefit the agency's mission to protect the public.