EXCLUSIVE: Ultimate Fighting Championship pioneer and legend Royce Gracie has endorsed a pro-law enforcement candidate who is running for governor in California.

One of the biggest names in mixed martial arts and the first UFC champion, Gracie made a name for himself by taking down much larger opponents through precision and skill.

Now he is weighing into the political sphere in the race to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited and widely rumored to have 2028 presidential ambitions.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Gracie said he is endorsing sheriff Chad Bianco’s long-shot bid to replace Newsom in 2026. Gracie, a three-time UFC champion, called Bianco a «fighter» who is «exactly who we need.»

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«When Gavin Newsom closed businesses, schools, and churches, one person stood against him, Sheriff Chad Bianco,» Gracie told Fox News Digital.

«Chad Bianco didn’t fold. He’s a fighter, and a fighter is exactly who we need as Governor of California,» he added, saying, «We need his strength to turn this state around after the mess Gavin Newsom has created.»

Bianco, who is a vocal Trump supporter and the sheriff of Riverside County, just east of Los Angeles, announced his gubernatorial candidacy back in February, saying, «Californians deserve better.»

He has framed his candidacy around restoring safety and a better quality of life to California.

«This campaign will not be about the divide between Republicans and Democrats. It will be about the common goal we all have for a better California,» Bianco emphasized at his campaign launch.

«As Californians, we want leadership that actually cares about the cost of living …and leaders who will do something about it,» Bianco said in his address. «We want homes we can afford. We want air conditioning when it’s hot, not rolling blackouts. We want water for the crops and animals that feed us. We want the opportunity to achieve the California Dream, not be prevented from it because of red tape and regulation from government. We want honesty and transparency from our elected officials. We want lower taxes and less government waste. We want sanity restored and common sense to prevail.»

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Jiu-Jitsu black belt Royce Gracie kicks at cruiserweight boxer Art Jimmerson during a 1st round match in the Ultimate Fighter Championships in Denver, Colorado. Gracie went on to win the match and eventually the championship. (Markus Boes)

Bianco, who has worked in law enforcement for more than three decades, was first elected sheriff in 2018. A vocal critic of Newsom and soft on crime policies, Bianco was one of the leaders who helped push California’s Proposition 36 ballot measure to a landslide victory in last November’s elections. The measure, which took effect in December, mandates stiffer penalties and longer sentences in California for certain drug and theft crimes.

In response to Gracie’s endorsement, Bianco told Fox News Digital that «Californians are waking up, and we are going to clean up this state.»

«Gavin Newsom has been chasing away Californians in record numbers,» he said, adding, «I’m grateful for the support of patriots like Royce Gracie.»

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment but did not receive a statement by the time of publication. 

Bianco is facing a steep uphill battle to win as a Republican in deep blue California. It has been nearly two decades since a Republican won a statewide race.

Though still early, the current frontrunner to be Newsom’s successor is former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, a progressive who has made resisting President Donald Trump a central theme of her campaign.

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Republican Sheriff Chad Bianco (left) received an endorsement from UFC legend Royce Gracie (right) for California governor. (Images courtesy of Chad Bianco Campaign)

Xavier Becerra, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary under the Biden administration and former California attorney general, is also running for the Democratic nomination.

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The Democratic and Republican primaries will be held on June 2 next year and the general election will be on Nov. 3.

El presidente ruso, Vladímir Putin, ordenó este miércoles a sus principales funcionarios estudiar a fondo las intenciones de Estados Unidos y “presentar propuestas” para retomar las pruebas nucleares. La decisión responde a recientes declaraciones del presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, quien sugirió que Washington podría volver a realizar ensayos atómicos después de treinta años sin hacerlo.

La instrucción de Putin fue emitida durante una reunión del Consejo de Seguridad ruso, donde el mandatario reiteró que Moscú solo retomaría las pruebas si Estados Unidos lo hace primero, pero instó a los ministerios de Defensa y Asuntos Exteriores, así como a otras agencias federales, a recabar información y diseñar un plan de contingencia.

El 30 de octubre, Trump indicó públicamente en redes sociales, desde Corea del Sur, que evalúa la posibilidad de reanudar las pruebas de armas nucleares estadounidenses “en una base igualitaria” con Rusia y China. Sin embargo, el secretario de Energía estadounidense, Chris Wright, aseguró el domingo que los nuevos ensayos ordenados por Trump no contemplan detonaciones nucleares. Estados Unidos no ha realizado explosiones atómicas desde 1992, aunque continúa probando sistemas de armas con capacidad nuclear.

Putin emitió su directriz poco después de que Estados Unidos y Rusia comunicaran avances en el desarrollo y modernización de sus arsenales. La semana anterior, el presidente ruso anunció pruebas exitosas de un misil de crucero y un dron submarino de propulsión nuclear y capacidad atómica, destacando ante su Consejo de Seguridad que esas armas “no pueden ser interceptadas”. Según la visión de Putin, recogida durante el encuentro y reproducida por la agencia estatal TASS, esta demostración pretende dejar claro a Trump la postura firme de Rusia sobre sus demandas en el conflicto de Ucrania.

Durante la sesión del Consejo de Seguridad, el ministro de Defensa, Andrei Belousov, transmitió al presidente que Washington está avanzando en la modernización de su arsenal nuclear. Belousov sostuvo que, junto con un eventual regreso estadounidense a las pruebas nucleares, estas iniciativas “incrementan significativamente el nivel de amenazas militares para Rusia”. Por ello, recomendó iniciar de inmediato los preparativos para posibles pruebas en el archipiélago ártico de Nueva Zembla, donde la extinta Unión Soviética llevó a cabo su último ensayo en 1990. Añadió que esa instalación está en condiciones de reanudar los ensayos rápidamente si es necesario.

El jefe del Estado Mayor ruso, el general Valery Gerasimov, respaldó esa recomendación y advirtió en que preparar un ensayo nuclear puede requerir desde varios meses hasta años, dependiendo del tipo de prueba. En su intervención ante Putin y los altos cargos reunidos, Gerasimov insistió sobre el alto coste de respuesta si no se tomaban medidas preventivas, considerando las señales contradictorias de Washington en torno a futuras explosiones nucleares estadounidenses.

Finalizada la ronda de intervenciones, Putin ordenó a las agencias gubernamentales “reunir información adicional sobre el tema, analizarla en el marco del Consejo de Seguridad y presentar propuestas coordinadas sobre el posible inicio de los trabajos para prepararse para pruebas de armas nucleares.”

El portavoz del Kremlin, Dmitri Peskov, aclaró en declaraciones citadas por la agencia Tass que Putin no ha autorizado iniciar los preparativos para nuevas pruebas, sino únicamente analizar la situación internacional y determinar la necesidad de tomar esa medida. Peskov subrayó que el gobierno ruso debe comprender perfectamente las intenciones de la Casa Blanca antes de avanzar en cualquier decisión.

Horas más tarde, Dmitri Medvédev, vicepresidente del Consejo de Seguridad, intervino en la red social X para recalcar la gravedad de las declaraciones de Trump: “Nadie sabe qué quiso decir Trump con ‘pruebas nucleares’ (probablemente ni él mismo lo sabe). Pero es el presidente de Estados Unidos. Y las consecuencias de tales palabras son ineludibles: Rusia se verá obligada a evaluar la conveniencia de realizar sus propias pruebas nucleares a gran escala”, afirmó Medvédev.

La tensión en torno al Tratado de Prohibición Completa de los Ensayos Nucleares (TPCE) vuelve a quedar en evidencia. El acuerdo, firmado en 1996 por el entonces presidente estadounidense Bill Clinton pero nunca ratificado por el Senado, ha sido respetado en la práctica por todas las potencias atómicas salvo Corea del Norte. En 2023, Putin promulgó una ley que revocó la ratificación rusa del tratado, argumentando que Moscú necesitaba situarse “en igualdad de condiciones” respecto a Washington.

(Con información de AP)

President Donald Trump’s global roller coaster of peace moves — led by him and his team to end wars around the world — is now picking up speed in Sudan, where a 30-month war has left tens of thousands dead, and some 14 million displaced from their homes.

«Ending wars is a priority for President Trump, and the United States remains focused on working with our partners and other stakeholders to resolve the crisis in Sudan,» a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday, adding, «Engagement with all relevant stakeholders is essential to achieving this goal. Given the immediate urgency of de-escalating the violence, we will continue to engage with the belligerents to end the conflict.»

Talks to end the fighting between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, led by Gen. Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo Musa, known as Hemedti, and the Khartoum government’s Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), under the control of Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, began during the Biden administration but failed to make headway. They have since gained momentum under President Trump, with the U.S. forming a so-called international Quad in September with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

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Since the weekend, the pace of peace talks has become positively frenetic. The White House’s senior advisor for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, fresh from brokering a ceasefire in the 30-year war between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, held talks with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo on Sunday.

On Monday, Boulos met with the Arab League, with the League stating that Trump’s envoy had briefed them on U.S. efforts to «halt the war, expedite aid delivery, and initiate a political process.»

The Sudan Tribune then quoted Boulos as saying later on Monday, «Both parties have agreed in principle, and we have not recorded any initial objection from either side. We are now focusing on the fine details.»

But the two sides are still fighting. On Tuesday, Sudan’s Defense Minister Hassan Kabroun talked to the country’s state television network, following a government council meeting in Khartoum, saying, «We thank the Trump administration for its efforts and proposals to achieve peace,» but added: «Preparations for the Sudanese people’s battle are ongoing. Our preparations for war are a legitimate national right.»

Massad Boulos, senior advisor to President Donald Trump, speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at the United States’ embassy in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025.  (Amr Nabil/AP Photo)

Also on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt weighed in, telling reporters, «The United States is actively engaged in efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to the terrible conflict in Sudan. We remain committed to working with our international partners, including Quad members — Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — as well as others to lead a negotiated peace process that addresses both the immediate humanitarian crisis and the longer-term political challenges.»

Leavitt continued, «I actually spoke with Secretary Rubio about this, this morning, as, of course, there’s been, you know, kind of an uptick in recent reporting on the matter. And he assured me that the administration is very much engaged. We’re in pretty frequent communication with those Arab partners that I just mentioned. And we want to see this conflict come to a peaceful end, just as we have with so many others. But it’s — the reality is — it’s a very complicated situation on the ground right now.»

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Fighters of the Sudan Liberation Movement, a Sudanese rebel group active in Sudan’s Darfur State which supports army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, attend a graduation ceremony in the southeastern Gedaref state on March 28, 2024.  (AFP via Getty Images)

Analysts say last week’s fall of the Sudanese city of El-Fasher, and with it the Darfur region to RSF fighters, effectively cutting the country in two, may have spurred all parties into action. «The RSF’s full control of the Darfur region could have dangerous and worrying consequences in the future in terms of partition,» Boulos told Al Jazeera.

On Tuesday U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate ceasefire in Sudan. Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Qatar, Guterres said the war was «spiraling out of control.»

«The fall of El-Fasher to the RSF is a defining moment in Sudan’s brutal civil war», Mariam Wahba, research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital. Wahba continued: «It marks the militia’s full control of the Darfur region and leaves Sudan effectively split in two.»

The human cost is staggering. On Monday, the U.N. reported that «over 21 million people across Sudan are facing high levels of acute food insecurity — the largest such crisis in the world.» The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) found that famine is ongoing in the now-captured El-Fasher and in Kadugli, South Kordofan, with families trapped and surviving on leaves, animal feed and grass.

‘NO MEANS OF ESCAPE’: SUDANESE REBELS CREATE KILL ZONES AROUND BESIEGED CITY

Yale researchers document evidence of atrocities in Sudan’s El Fasher using satellite imagery. (Humanitarian Research Lab Yale School of Public Health / @Airbus DS 2025)

The Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab released satellite images taken over El-Fasher over the last week, stating Tuesday, «Evidence of body disposal activities include at least two earth disturbances consistent with mass graves at a mosque and the former Children’s Hospital; there is one new instance of removal of objects consistent with bodies. This activity appears consistent with RSF conducting cleanup of their alleged mass atrocities.»

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Sources say intense negotiations led by the U.S. team are continuing. Details of what’s on offer have not been revealed, but it’s understood an agreement would start with a three-month humanitarian truce, to allow aid delivery in, followed by a permanent ceasefire and a civilian-led transition.

«For Washington, the stakes in Sudan are rising by the day,» the FDD’s Wahba told Fox News Digital, adding, «The more time the RSF has to cement its control over Darfur and push toward Khartoum again, the harder it will become to prevent the country’s permanent collapse. What happens next in Sudan will shape the balance of power across the Horn of Africa and signal to America’s adversaries whether the United States still has the will to confront instability before it spreads in this critical region of the world.»