The UFC has officially launched their partnership with OnSide after partnering with the UK youth charity last year.
OnSide, which was founded in 2008, builds facilities called 'Youth Zones' across the UK's most disadvantaged areas. Its mission is to provide young people with affordable access to several activities and opportunities seven days a week.
The UFC partnered with OnSide last May, but Covid-19 restrictions in the UK delayed the launch of their campaign. The youth mentoring program is led by former light heavyweight Jimi Manuwa, welterweight Leon Edwards and middleweight Darren Till.
The fighters will lead an MMA focused program at three OnSide Youth Zones throughout the UK. Edwards, who is based at the Wolverhampton facility, praised the UFC for their involvement in the programme.
“ As soon as I mentioned it to the UFC they were fully involved and wanted to put money in it straight away," he said. "I’m very happy to finally come and see the kids work after Covid. Without youth clubs, that’s why there’s spike in crime as kids have nothing to but hang out on the streets with their friends.”
“For kids, you’re like a blueprint to show you can achieve stuff. It’s easy to go the hood and be like ‘don’t do this, don’t do that, look at this’ but you can’t resonate with that person. So for someone like me that I’ve been there and lived it, I can be the blueprint.”
Edwards was at the OnSide's facility in Croydon on Thursday to share his life story with a group of young children. The Brit, who is set to fight for a UFC title in summer, thinks the charity's partnership with the UFC will help reduce crime rates in the area.
Manuwa, Till and Edwards have long campaigned for the UFC to help set up a youth centre to tackle knife crime. PC Dean Littlewood, who is based in South London, described the "lightbulb moment" he had after a tweet about the idea from Manuwa.
“I’m a big fan of MMA and because I followed [Jimi] on social media, it was a bit of a lightbulb moment in my head," he said. "I thought that we could use both of our profiles as police and athletes to bring something together, with the branding of an international powerhouse like the UFC it’s great.”
“It’s just about giving these kids something to focus on that pent-up aggression or frustration they may have whilst having positive role models around them. We want to use this programme to target those people in our community who are at risk of certain crime types and vulnerabilities.”
