Trump State Department inks deal to promote mixed martial arts: "Fighting is in our DNA!"
Washington DC - The State Department is making moves to promote President Donald Trump's favored combat sport – Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) – under an agreement signed Thursday with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
"It doesn't matter what color you are, what country we come from, what language we speak, we're all human beings, and fighting is in our DNA," said UFC boss and Trump's close friend Dana White while signing the agreement alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to the State Department, UFC bouts are "broadcast worldwide and contribute to the United States' broader cultural and sports influence through professional competition and athlete development."
As part of the partnership with the UFC, athletes and coaches will serve as US sports ambassadors and lead training clinics for young international athletes.
The signing ceremony comes just days before a UFC fight is scheduled to take place on the White House's South Lawn on Sunday, coinciding with Trump's 80th birthday.
Some 4,500 guests are expected to attend, while up to 100,000 others will be able to watch on giant screens in a nearby park.
The event has received heavy criticism, but according to Rubio, it is "a gift to the American people."
It "brings so many people, from so many different places, so many different backgrounds, and so many different points of view together, for a few hours, to enjoy one thing in common – and the bonding power of that is incredible," he added.
Cover photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / AFP