Luke Thomas on Patel Suggesting To Use UFC for Training FBI Agents: It’s a ‘Bizarre Idea’

CORNISH Obviously we ve ░░░░░░░░ hearing a ton about ░░░░░░░░ sounding the alarm about ░░░░░░░░ connecting with young men ░░░░░░░░ And frankly there is ░░░░░░░░ place where they could ░░░░░░░░ that s combat sports ░░░░░░░░ UFC I ve done ░░░░░░░░ lot of reporting on ░░░░░░░░ And the thing is ░░░░░░░░ octagon doesn t just ░░░░░░░░ fights anymore It s ░░░░░░░░ cultural battleground And you ░░░░░░░░ got some people who ░░░░░░░░ moved into political office ░░░░░░░░ I m bringing on ░░░░░░░░ sports analyst Luke Thomas ░░░░░░░░ the group chat Luke ░░░░░░░░ to the studio We ░░░░░░░░ talked before on the ░░░░░░░░ I want to talk ░░░░░░░░ the last couple of ░░░░░░░░ in terms of the ░░░░░░░░ relationship We re at ░░░░░░░░ point now where Dana ░░░░░░░░ is very much the ░░░░░░░░ of the UFC a ░░░░░░░░ friend of the president ░░░░░░░░ you even had FBI ░░░░░░░░ Kash Patel at one ░░░░░░░░ saying he wanted to ░░░░░░░░ the relationship with the ░░░░░░░░ to train agents in ░░░░░░░░ arts which was that ░░░░░░░░ of a surprise Thomas ░░░░░░░░ in that it s ░░░░░░░░ a bizarre idea I ░░░░░░░░ t know exactly how ░░░░░░░░ arm drags to the ░░░░░░░░ is going to help ░░░░░░░░ kind of field agent ░░░░░░░░ ne er do wells ░░░░░░░░ the lawbreaking community so ░░░░░░░░ speak It seems like ░░░░░░░░ bit of a waste ░░░░░░░░ mean we just yesterday ░░░░░░░░ was scientists at the ░░░░░░░░ and NIH being sent ░░░░░░░░ and had their bags ░░░░░░░░ And I m like ░░░░░░░░ is that not a ░░░░░░░░ suitable use for government ░░░░░░░░ versus just training field ░░░░░░░░ And martial arts is ░░░░░░░░ beneficial to use but ░░░░░░░░ the government dime it ░░░░░░░░ t exactly make a ░░░░░░░░ of sense CORNISH Yes ░░░░░░░░ it is a pool ░░░░░░░░ candidates right Thomas Yes ░░░░░░░░ Like if you want ░░░░░░░░ draw people into something ░░░░░░░░ the armed services And ░░░░░░░░ think it gets to ░░░░░░░░ point law enforcement I ░░░░░░░░ And I think it ░░░░░░░░ to the point of ░░░░░░░░ fan base right When ░░░░░░░░ look at the demographics ░░░░░░░░ MMA it is predominantly ░░░░░░░░ And these are the ░░░░░░░░ that helped swing the ░░░░░░░░ especially young men who ░░░░░░░░ out of the pandemic ░░░░░░░░ conservative leaning How was ░░░░░░░░ MMA and combat sports ░░░░░░░░ of a conduit for ░░░░░░░░ Thomas Well it was ░░░░░░░░ think a concerted decision ░░░░░░░░ the UFC leadership in ░░░░░░░░ case Dana White to ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump This went ░░░░░░░░ the way back to ░░░░░░░░ when he spoke at ░░░░░░░░ RNC at that time ░░░░░░░░ Yes And they re ░░░░░░░░ Like that s and ░░░░░░░░ illegal about being friends ░░░░░░░░ Thomas Listen I should ░░░░░░░░ clear he has noted ░░░░░░░░ in their struggling days ░░░░░░░░ they first took over ░░░░░░░░ company that Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ them some place to ░░░░░░░░ their events in New ░░░░░░░░ and that was quite ░░░░░░░░ to them That is ░░░░░░░░ quite true There s ░░░░░░░░ no denying that I ░░░░░░░░ it s somewhat oversold ░░░░░░░░ exactly important that is ░░░░░░░░ in any case they ░░░░░░░░ a relationship It kind ░░░░░░░░ it maintained over time ░░░░░░░░ then in 2016 it ░░░░░░░░ a real turn And ░░░░░░░░ I think it really ░░░░░░░░ up into high gear ░░░░░░░░ the pandemic I think ░░░░░░░░ was when things got ░░░░░░░░ into overdrive so to ░░░░░░░░ or at least at ░░░░░░░░ highest point And then ░░░░░░░░ you see the results ░░░░░░░░ this They now are ░░░░░░░░ mean listen young men ░░░░░░░░ this MMA conduit this ░░░░░░░░ a important constituency to ░░░░░░░░ quite honest with you ░░░░░░░░ can like that fact ░░░░░░░░ you can hate that ░░░░░░░░ but it s a ░░░░░░░░ And it s now ░░░░░░░░ substantial portion of a ░░░░░░░░ factor of the electorate ░░░░░░░░ well CORNISH Right Thomas ░░░░░░░░ so I mean this ░░░░░░░░ this is CORNISH And ░░░░░░░░ voices like a Joe ░░░░░░░░ Right Thomas Extremely powerful ░░░░░░░░ CORNISH He s very ░░░░░░░░ in combat sports.”