The Ultimate Fighting Championship and the Toronto Police held a community works event this afternoon at the Rogers Center, and the message they sent to the kids in attendance was loud and clear.
Bullying needs to stop, and we are all responsible for doing our own part to stop it.
Rogers Sportsnet MMA journalist and host of UFC Central “Showdown” Joe Ferraro was the Master of Ceremonies and UFC fighters Sam Stout, Mark Hominick, Matt Mitrione and Sean Pierson were on hand to speak to a large crowd of school kids about bullying, what it is in all forms, and what steps we can all take to make a difference in stopping it.
The event kicked off with the incredibly chilling YouTube video of Jonah Mowry on the Rogers Center big screen, and then UFC lightweight Sam Stout took the stage along with Toronto police officer Hooper to speak and educate those in attendance.
“You know a lot of people have been asking, well, why are they having UFC fighters come in and talk about bullying, guys that fight for a living, why are they talking about bullying? To me, fighting and bullying are two totally different things. I fight for the UFC, I train every day for it, I’m a professional. The guys I’m fighting are willing participants,” Stout opened.
“The difference between that and bullying is that bullying is one person that wants nothing to do with it, and one or more than one person attacking them. It doesn’t just mean physical abuse, there’s tons of different kinds of bullying that all needs to be stopped,” he continued.
Stout spoke in length and shared an experience he had in high school where his friend was being bullied and he stepped in, supported his “unpopular” friend and put a stop to it. Nothing physical had to be done.
UFC heavyweight and former NFL player Matt Mitrione then took the floor and told his inspiring story of how he made it to the NFL despite the many naysayers he encountered in life.
“You can get out and do what you want to do. Believe in it and don’t get hustled by anyone else. Walk to the beat of your own hustle. Be your own musician, dance to your own music and you’ll always be able to do what you want to do.”
After the speakers were finished, the kids were then able to come down to the Rogers Center floor and meet the fighters for autographs and pictures.
Despite some push back from the public on how wise it is to have Ultimate Fighters speaking on anti-bullying, the event delivered an important message, and is a perfect example of how the UFC gives back to the community’s that support them.
In April, the UFC pledged $129,000 to help at risk youth across Canada, and the Cabbagetown Youth Center has been the first to reap the benefits receiving a grant to buy all new sports equipment.
Please see the video attached for highlights of the event.
Dwight Wakabayashi is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA and correspondent for MMACanada.net.
Catch him on Facebook and Twitter at wakafightermma.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com