Leon Edwards
OnSide Youth Zone
Earlier this year, UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards teamed up with OnSide, one of the leading youth charities in the U.K., to establish a youth mentoring program at three OnSide Youth Zone locations. Along with local police officers, Edwards helps train kids in mixed martial arts as part of an initiative to break down the barriers between kids and the police.
“We just want to get these kids out of the streets, divert them away from crime, and just let them know they can talk to us, they can confide in us, and they can come have fun,” PC Dean Littlewood from South Area Command Unit in the Metropolitan Police Service said.
Kids aged 12-16 are eligible to join the program which includes weekly, small-group classes over a 6 to 8-week period. The classes will offer kids with the opportunity to learn various martial arts disciplines, including boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, wrestling, judo and jiu-jitsu.
“At the end of the day, you’re fighting, but it’s all love,” Edwards said. “We’re here to provide for our family and just give back.”
For more information on UFC’s and Leon Edwards’ partnership with OnSide, visit https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-and-onside-launch-youth-mentoring-program-in-united-kingdom