UFC 304 in Manchester may have thrilled the fans inside the Co-op Live, but the promotion also made sure they left a legacy outside of the cage, thanks to their ongoing mentoring partnership with UK youth organisation OnSide.
During fight week in Manchester, the UFC launched its third OnSide Youth Zone partnership in nearby Wigan, home town to UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
The OnSide programme partnership in Wigan follows in the footsteps of equivalent martial arts-focused programmes set up in Croydon, London, and Wolverhampton, and saw UFC stars Aspinall, Lerone Murphy, Michael Page, Jared Gordon and Julianna Pena visit local kids in Wigan to pass on some tips and advice to the youngsters there, before taking them to the ceremonial weigh-ins at Co-op Live to experience the electricity of a UFC fight week in full swing.
Through the new partnership in Wigan, Aspinall will visit the centre and speak to young people about growing up locally to fulfil his dreams through hard work and dedication. The Wigan Youth Zone already has one example of a youngster progressing to the world stage, with former attendee Muhammad Mokaev going on to compete on the fight card at UFC 304.
“I grew up down the road and my journey led to me being a UFC world champion,” said Aspinall.
“MMA can open so many different doors for young people and I’m looking forward to helping OnSide with this great initiative. I hope I can inspire the kids to discover their own passions in life.”
Head of operations for Wigan Youth Zone, Sikander Ali, said, “UFC is hugely popular. We are really excited to bring this to the young people of Wigan. This will allow us to help young people navigate their emotions by channelling them into a positive outlet, while developing skills and discipline.
“It is inspiring to be involved with role models such as Tom Aspinall, a local lad who has achieved great success as a UFC champion, alongside Muhammad Mokaev whose MMA journey began at Wigan Youth Zone when he got his first taste for wrestling with us. Tom and Muhammad inspire young people to see that they too can push through barriers and believe that anything is possible.”
OnSide’s mission is ensure all young people aged 8-19 years old (or up to 25 with additional needs) have the opportunities to shine. The charity’s Youth Zones provide them with affordable access to high quality sports, arts and recreational facilities as well as guidance and support from trained and dedicated youth workers. OnSide has 15 Youth Zones within its UK-wide Network, which support over 55,000 young people each year.
OnSide CEO Jamie Masraff said: “We’re really excited to expand our partnership with UFC to a third Youth Zone. This programme has already made a huge impact in Croydon and Wolverhampton, enabling us to recruit trainers and amplify what we offer to young people.
“Tom and Muhammad are truly inspiring role models for young people in Wigan. Muhammad knows all about the impact Youth Zones and positive partnerships have on young lives, it will be fantastic to welcome him back.”
UFC sessions at OnSide’s Wigan Youth Zone (Parsons Walk, Wigan, WN1 1RU), which opened in 2013, will run on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evenings. To find out more about visit, www.wiganyouthzone.org, or check out their social media channels @WiganYouthZone. To find out more about OnSide, visit www.onsideyouthzones.org.
