President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio enjoy going to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events, and we’ve seen them do just that during Trump’s second term. Democrats love to clutch their pearls over this — one even accused Rubio of being out “partying” rather than negotiating with Iran during the secretary’s budget hearings last week, to which Rubio pointed out that he was there co-located with the president and spent much of the night making phone calls and keeping the president informed on the negotiations led by JD Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner.
But while we may see the president and secretary enjoying themselves at UFC events, they’re not merely there to have a good time or look cool or whatever else the left accuses them of doing. Both men have a great rapport with UFC CEO Dana White, and both men see United States-based sports as an important part of our culture. While they’re both sports fans, their visibility at these events is more than just men out having a good time — they’re part political theater, part connection with the American voters.
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And now we’re taking that to the world stage, apparently. The State Department announced this week that on Thursday, Rubio and White will participate in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony at the U.S. Department of State on Thursday. Yep, they’re getting ready to push cage fighting diplomacy on the rest of the world, and I am here for it. Here’s more:
The MOU signing will mark a new public-private partnership to enhance sports diplomacy initiatives and collaborate on the global growth of mixed martial arts. Additional details will be announced following the ceremony.
UFC is the world’s leading mixed martial arts organization. As an American-founded organization, the UFC has grown into a major global sports platform, reflecting U.S. leadership in modern combat sports promotion, athletic performance standards, and international event production. Its events are broadcast worldwide and contribute to the United States’ broader cultural and sports influence through professional competition and athlete development.
While we don’t know the full details of what this includes just yet, we do know it’s not the first time Trump and Rubio have pushed sports as a way to expand and promote U.S. culture. One of the first things Rubio did as Secretary of State in 2025 was host the NFL to promote and celebrate “American Excellence through football” and expand the sport’s reach beyond the United States.
For those who think this is silly or unimportant, let me stop you right there (I used to be one of you). But this is the type of soft power that helps us compete with adversaries like China. The Chinese are masters at this, using it to leverage themselves into various countries, especially in the Western Hemisphere. They do it through education, through media, and through sports, particularly mixed martial arts and soccer lately.
UFC has gained a huge international following (it currently broadcasts in 156 countries), including in Latin America, and while many of the fighters are from other countries, the organization itself is 100% red, white, and blue. The Trump administration sees it as promoting U.S. values on the world stage and putting the United States back on offense when it comes to soft power. The sport showcases merit, resilience, and raw competition — values that communism and the CCP influence just can’t match.
Of course, all of this comes just as UFC Freedom 250 is set to kick off on the South Lawn at the White House on June 14, to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday. I’m sure both Trump and Rubio will be there, and somewhere, some Democrat is already pre-writing a complaint about how they dared to smile while in attendance.
Marco Rubio threw up the ‘305’ at UFC in Miami
👌✋ 🌴 pic.twitter.com/20g00FUjTz
— johnny maga (@johnnymaga) April 12, 2026
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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