THE Ultimate Fighting Championship, with the support of Leon Edwards and Darren Till from the UK has sounded their opening bell in their fight against knife crime and gang violence in the United Kingdom.
The premier promotion in mixed martial arts announced a partnership last May with Legacy Youth Zone, the Onside Network and other partners. This revealed plans to establish mentorship programs for children and teens.
Darren Till, Leon Edwards, and Jimi Manuwa approached UFC to discuss setting up a scheme that would combat knife crime in the UK by 2020
This mentorship program will be offered to 12-16-year-olds currently on probation for knife-related offenses, as well as those who have been convicted for gang or drug-related offences.
After Till, Edwards, and Jimi Manuwa, former light-heavyweight Jimi Manuwa called for help to those at risk of knife crime after a series of stabbings in their home towns, the UFC joined the project.
They will be leading a mentoring program that focuses on martial arts as part of the After-School Health and Wellness curriculum at three OnSide Youth Zones across the country.
Edwards, a Welterweight contender, is based at the Wolverhampton youth area. He said about the promotion's involvement as follows: "As soon I mentioned it to UFC they were fully engaged and wanted to invest money straight away.
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"I was very happy to finally see the children work after Covid. Youth clubs are what cause crime to rise. Kids don't have anything but to hang out with their friends on the streets.
Edwards is acutely aware of the heartbreaking and devastating effects of knife crime, having lost many friends to the national epidemic.
The Brummie, who has turned his life around through mixed martial arts, is eager to share his experience with others and show them that they can use their energy for something good rather than becoming enmeshed in gang culture.
Rocky said this on Thursday at OnSide's Croydon facility.
It's easy to be like "Don't do this, Don't do that", but it's hard to connect with someone.
"So, for someone like myself that has been there and experienced it, I can be a blueprint."
South London Police Officer PC Dean Littlewood is positive about the positive effects the scheme will have
He stated that he was a huge fan of MMA, and that he had followed Jimi on social media, it was a lightbulb moment for me.
"I thought we could use both our profiles as athletes and police to bring something together. With the branding of an international powerhouse such the UFC, it's fantastic.
"It's about giving them something to concentrate on, whatever it may be, anger or frustration while also having positive role models around.
"We want this program to target people in our community at high risk for certain types of crime and vulnerability."
Kathryn Morely, chief executive of OnSide, stated that it was crucial to give young people opportunities to have fun and get fit. This will be especially important as we recover from the pandemic.
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"This partnership offers a fantastic opportunity to introduce young people to an incredibly popular sports, and we are thrilled to work with UFC to create this mentoring program and look forward to the positive impact it has on youth across the OnSide network.
To learn more about the UFC's involvement with Legacy Youth Zones, visit UFCONSIDEYOUTHMENTORING.
