Michael Chandler says he is eager to work with FBI agents after the UFC began collaborating with the federal agency on joint combat training sessions.
The partnership has created a rare crossover between professional mixed martial artists and law enforcement personnel.
For Chandler, the opportunity represents a chance for both sides to exchange ideas about combat strategy and preparation.
Michael Chandler reacts to the chance to train with FBI agents
Chandler explained his excitement about the opportunity in an interview with TMZ Sports, where the UFC lightweight discussed the idea of training alongside federal agents.
“Yes, we are hand-to-hand combat experts in the cage. They have their own type of training, but why not bring the two different thought processes together,” Chandler said.
He added: “Have that white belt mentality, and you can always learn something new every single day. We’re gonna go out there, do some training, chop it up, talk about different scenarios, and have a good time and get better.”
The sessions are expected to involve UFC fighters working with FBI instructors and agents on various hand-to-hand combat techniques and defensive tactics.
Law-enforcement agencies regularly train agents in close-quarters combat and situational defense, while professional fighters bring high-level striking and grappling expertise developed in elite competition.
Chandler believes combining those two perspectives can lead to valuable learning experiences for both groups.
UFC-FBI partnership aims to exchange combat training ideas
Chandler also revealed that the initial sessions will likely serve as a starting point for a broader exchange of knowledge between fighters and agents.
“I’ve got a run of show. I’ve got a schedule, so to speak, when we get there this weekend,” Chandler further stated. “We’ll probably just continue to bounce ideas off of each other, and this thing will probably be a living, breathing thing as we continue to move forward.”
The collaboration is designed to allow fighters to observe how federal agents train for real-world scenarios while agents learn from elite athletes who specialize in hand-to-hand combat.
For UFC athletes like Chandler, the experience also offers insight into how combat principles translate outside of the sport environment.
As the program develops, both sides are expected to continue sharing techniques and strategies that could benefit competitive fighters as well as law-enforcement professionals.
For Chandler, the key message remains simple: staying open to learning from different disciplines is one of the best ways to keep improving.
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