Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UFC President and CEO Dana White signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday afternoon establishing a new public-private partnership to enhance sports diplomacy.

The agreement recognizes UFC as the world's leading mixed martial arts organization and acknowledges its growth from an American-founded company into a major global sports platform. The partnership aims to leverage UFC's international reach to support U.S. diplomatic efforts through sports engagement.

The signing comes as UFC fans are gathering in Washington, D.C., for Freedom 250 on Sunday and related events. The Secret Service has announced that security measures for the UFC activities at the White House will be comparable to Super Bowl-level protection.

According to the top Secret Service agent for the D.C. area, security will be particularly strict as attendees participate in the weekend's events. The enhanced security protocols reflect the high-profile nature of the UFC's presence in the nation's capital and the involvement of senior government officials in the sports diplomacy initiative.