US Secretary of State Marco Rubio extolled the virtues of the Ultimate Fighting Championship as being intrinsically American, likening its creation to placing the first man on the moon.
In remarks that at instances took on the tone of a marketing campaign speech, Rubio recommended the convening energy of blended martial arts to unite folks of completely different social and geographic backgrounds and hailed the upcoming UFC fight at the White House as “historic.”
Rubio, who has run for president in the previous, has more and more been eyed as a potential contender for 2028, although he has publicly downplayed these ambitions. Still, his public profile has been on the rise by way of appearances in the White House briefing room and on Capitol Hill with moments minimize for social media.
In his remarks at the State Department Thursday, Rubio described “whole idea of America” as “audacious,” from its founding onward.
“When President Kennedy announced that we were going to put a man on the moon and return them safely to the earth, no one thought that was possible, and we did it,” Rubio mentioned earlier than inking an settlement to use the American blended martial arts firm as a software of US diplomacy.
“We are a nation founded on doing what no one else dared to do, and no one else aspired to do,” he continued.
“And at some level, that’s what this whole company, what UFC has been,” Rubio mentioned.
He claimed that UFC CEO Dana White “and the people around him had a vision” to create a construction to blended martial arts occasions.
Rubio, who described UFC as “the United Nations of fighting,” claimed that the fights are “educating Americans about cultures, societies all over the world.”
“We’re excited about what this brand means about America’s ability to expand and reach out to different parts of the world,” he mentioned.
He described UFC fights as one of the “very few things left in our society, and I would say, in the world that convenes us all.”
Rubio additionally joked about the potential “diplomatic crisis” that would unfold over demand from international leaders to attend Sunday’s struggle at the White House, which can commemorate each the 250th anniversary of US independence and likewise falls on President Donald Trump’s 80thbirthday.
Two Virginia residents have filed a lawsuit in search of to cease that struggle, arguing that the use of the White House grounds “to stage a private, for-profit sports event, with all the promotional and branding opportunities that accompany such access” will financially profit White and Trump himself. Their lawsuit cites a report in the spring that Trump purchased $50,000 in inventory in UFC’s mother or father firm.
“A billion people all over the world will be watching America celebrate its 250th birthday with the White House in the background and some of the best athletes in the world in that octagon,” he mentioned.
Under the newly signed memorandum of understanding between the State Department and UFC, they “will engage current and former athletes, coaches, and executives as mentors and cultural ambassadors to deliver overseas clinics, workshops, and training sessions that promote teamwork, leadership, and healthy lifestyles among youth,” a State Department spokesperson mentioned.
They “will also develop joint educational content using MMA to teach English and leadership skills, while coordinating on international UFC events to showcase American excellence alongside our US missions worldwide,” the spokesperson mentioned.