Rubio compares the founding of the UFC to landing a man on the moon
By Jennifer Hansler, CNN
(CNN) — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio extolled the virtues of the Ultimate Fighting Championship as being intrinsically American, likening its creation to putting the first man on the moon.
In remarks that at times took on the tone of a campaign speech, Rubio commended the convening power of mixed martial arts to unite people of 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 past, has increasingly been eyed as a potential contender for 2028, though he has publicly downplayed those ambitions. Still, his public profile has been on the rise through appearances in the White House briefing room and on Capitol Hill with moments cut 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 said before inking an agreement to use the American mixed martial arts company as a tool 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 said.
He claimed that UFC CEO Dana White “and the people around him had a vision” to create a structure to mixed martial arts events.
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 said.
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 also joked about the potential “diplomatic crisis” that could unfold over demand from foreign leaders to attend Sunday’s fight at the White House, which will commemorate both the 250th anniversary of US independence and also falls on President Donald Trump’s 80thbirthday.
Two Virginia residents have filed a lawsuit seeking to stop that fight, 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 benefit White and Trump himself. Their lawsuit cites a report in the spring that Trump bought $50,000 in stock in UFC’s parent company.
“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 said.
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 said.
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 said.
The-CNN-Wire
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