Crony Capitalism

Marco Rubio's 'Cage Fights for Diplomacy' Are Another Form of Crony Capitalism

Instead of dismantling the cultural exchange bureau, the State Department wants it to sponsor sports leagues.

Matthew Petti | 6.11.2026 3:27 PM

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(Illustration: Bill Clark CQ Roll Call/Newscom/Midjourney)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a memorandum of understanding with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president Dana White on Thursday to "collaborate on the global growth of mixed martial arts." The New York Post gave the ceremony exactly the kind of attention-grabbing headline that the Trump administration might have been looking for: "Rubio and UFC will sign deal to use cage fights for diplomacy."

The details of the agreement were somewhat more boring. It enlists the UFC into the "sports diplomacy" programs run by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The bureau spent around $52.5 million on "citizen exchanges,"........

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