A mixed martial arts company that counts Donald Trump Jr. among its investors is trying to win government contracts to teach military and law enforcement officers to fight.
President Donald Trump’s oldest son invested in the Australia-based Mixed Martial Arts Group Ltd. during a funding round last year.
The investment was made through American Ventures LLC, a Trump-affiliated fund, and Don Jr. also serves as an adviser to the company, Bloomberg reported.
The company is now trying to launch a pilot program in the U.S. that would cash in on military and police funding, a source told the outlet.
The idea is for John Kavanagh, who coached Irish MMA brawler and MAGA fan Conor McGregor, to lead “structured training programs” that include grappling techniques to restrain adversaries, Bloomberg reported.
Kavanagh co-founded MMA.Inc, and McGregor—who is set to fight in a UFC match on the White House lawn on Trump’s birthday this year, despite an Irish court finding him liable for sexual assault—is also an investor.
Last year, McGregor, who denies any wrongdoing in the sexual assault case, visited the Oval Office and criticized his native Ireland’s immigration policies.
MMA.Inc is looking for U.S. partners and hopes to finalize its planned pilot program by the end of the summer, according to Bloomberg.
If successful, MMA.Inc would be the latest company backed by Trump’s children to seek government funding.
Under the Trump administration, the Pentagon has awarded tens of millions of dollars in contracts and hundreds of millions in loans to companies backed by the venture capital firm 1789 Capital, where Don Jr. is a partner.
Those include a startup focused on producing rare-earth magnets.
Don Jr. and the president’s second oldest son, Eric Trump, have also partnered with a drone maker that is trying to sell interceptors to the very same Gulf companies that are being protected by the U.S. during Trump’s war with Iran, The Guardian reported earlier this month.
A spokesperson for Don Jr. did not return Bloomberg’s request for comment, while MMA.Inc declined to comment. The Daily Beast has also reached out.
Don Jr. and Eric have previously denied any conflicts of interest in pursuing government contracts, saying they’re private businessmen.
The Trump family are also long-time MMA supporters.
The president is close friends with Dana White, the CEO of MMA league Ultimate Fighting Championship, and is hosting a UFC fight at the White House on his 80th birthday in June.
As the White House’s negotiations with Iran were collapsing over the weekend, the administration was hyping the upcoming fight on social media.
