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Secretary of State Marco Rubio has faced significant criticism after drawing an unusual comparison between the moon landings and the upcoming UFC event at the White House.
On Thursday, Rubio, 55, and UFC CEO Dana White, 56, signed a memorandum of understanding at the State Department aimed at promoting sports diplomacy and expanding mixed martial arts worldwide. The agreement came just days before UFC Freedom 250, a historic fight scheduled for the White House South Lawn.
Rubio highlighted MMA’s unique ability to unite people from diverse political, socioeconomic, and geographic backgrounds. He also emphasized that the UFC, as an American company, has played a key role in shaping the sport. However, his remarks took a surprising turn when he likened the UFC’s rise to monumental moments in U.S. history.
“People may ask, ‘Why UFC?’” Rubio said.
“The first reason is America-the idea of achieving the impossible. When President Kennedy declared we would put a man on the moon and return him safely, few thought it was achievable.
But we did it. America is founded on daring to do what others thought impossible.
At some level, that’s what UFC has been.”
Rubio praised UFC’s growth over the past 30 years, calling it “one of the most recognizable sports brands on the planet” and dubbing it “the United Nations of fighting.” He also claimed that “probably over a billion people all over the world” would tune in for the Sunday event, despite Paramount+-the event’s broadcaster-currently having a global viewership of around 80 million.
The comparison between the UFC and the moon landing, along with the optimistic viewership estimate, quickly sparked backlash on social media. Critics called the analogy “next-level stupid” and dismissed the billion-viewer claim as unrealistic, especially with other major sporting events like the World Cup underway.
Some questioned how such viewership numbers would be measured or verified, pointing out the lack of credible audience tracking services involved.
As the UFC prepares to make history with its White House event, Rubio’s remarks have drawn more attention than perhaps anticipated-underscoring the challenges of framing sports diplomacy alongside iconic moments in American history.