UFC® HITS FOUR CANADIAN COMMUNITIES THIS SUMMER WITH SECOND YEAR OF UFC EXPERIENCE TOUR PRESENTED BY REEBOK
UFC® partners with Special Olympics Canada through UFC Community Works™ program
First tour stop scheduled for Lethbridge on June 12-13
Toronto, Canada – The UFC® is bringing the UFC Experience Tour presented by Reebok to four communities across the country this summer in conjunction with its UFC Community Works™ program. The tour will visit Lethbridge, Alberta on June 12-13, Kingston, Ontario on July 10-11, Saint John, New Brunswick on July 31-August 1 and Brandon, Manitoba on September 4-5 to showcase the fastest growing sports organization in the world.
The tour will include a one-day UFC Community Works™ event that will give back and support each community it visits. This year the UFC will partner exclusively with Special Olympics Canada in each city. Special Olympics programs make a difference in communities across Canada by promoting an active lifestyle and better quality of life for people with an intellectual disability though sport. The UFC will make a financial contribution at each stop of the tour through UFC Community Works™ and will host an event for Special Olympics participants supported by UFC athletes.
“Special Olympics Canada is thrilled to be the charitable recipient of UFC Canada’s 2015 UFC Community Works™ program for the UFC Experience Tour presented by Reebok” said Sharon Bollenbach, CEO, Special Olympics Canada. “Many of the attributes shown through mixed martial arts and UFC fighters, such as commitment, respect, pride and discipline, are shared by Special Olympics athletes. And much like the UFC Community Works™ program, Special Olympics in Canada is making a difference through sport in communities across Canada. We look forward to meeting and interacting with both local and UFC mixed martial artists, as well as the community at large, and showcasing the abilities of individuals with an intellectual disability.”
“Organizations like Special Olympics Canada are changing and enhancing the lives of individuals with an intellectual disability through sport,” said Tom Wright, UFC Executive Vice-President and General Manager for Canada, Australia and New Zealand. “Special Olympics programs provide athletes of all ages the opportunity to participate in physical activity, to develop their self-esteem and to learn life-changing skills associated with sport.”
The second day of the UFC Experience Tour presented by Reebok will educate, energize and engage fans on the sport of mixed martial arts and the UFC. It features a fun and interactive fan zone offering enthusiasts a chance to meet UFC fighters with an opportunity for autographs, as well as pose with a UFC championship belt. It will also include an exclusive viewing party that evening of a global pay-per-view event.
Global fitness leader Reebok has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the UFC Experience Tour. They will be integrated into the tour through the Reebok Fitness Challenge, where fans will have the opportunity to test their fitness skills with a punch strength machine, vertical jump test, pull-up bar and push-up station.
"As a proud partner of the UFC, Reebok is excited to take part in the UFC Experience Tour in Canada,” said Stewart Clark, Director of Marketing, Reebok Canada. “MMA is a very physical sport and the Reebok Fitness Challenge will give UFC fans a small amount of what it takes to train in order to compete in the Octagon®.”
On June 12, UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and local UFC welterweight Jordan Mein will be on hand in Lethbridge to kick off the tour. The athletes will help lead a mixed martial arts demonstration at Canadian Martial Arts Centre, deliver a brief speech for Special Olympics Canada participants and partake in a Q&A session on mentorship.
On June 13, UFC Experience Tour presented by Reebok will take over the corner of 2nd Avenue South & 3rd Street South in downtown Lethbridge from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. MT. The evening will culminate with an exclusive viewing party of UFC® 188: VELASQUEZ vs. WERDUM at Average Joe’s Sports Bar from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. MT where fighters will interact with fans, sign autographs and analyze the fights throughout the night. Fans can win passes to the viewing party during the day at the corner of 2nd Avenue South & 3rd Street South.
Please see below for a full schedule of the weekend events in Lethbridge (all times MT):
Friday, June 12 – UFC Community Works™ Canadian Martial Arts Centre 3307 3 Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4H4 5:00-6:30 p.m. * MEDIA EVENT ONLY
Saturday, June 13 – UFC Experience presented by Reebok Corner of 2nd Avenue South & 3rd Street South, Lethbridge, AB Main entrance: 214 2nd Avenue South 11a.m.-4:00 p.m. * FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Official UFC® 188: VELASQUEZ vs. WERDUM Viewing Party Average Joe’s Sports Bar 420 6 Street South, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 2C9 5:00-11:00 p.m. * FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC VIA PASS * PASSES AVAILABLE DURING UFC EXPERIENCE PRESENTED BY REEBOK
Since 2008, the UFC has hosted 18 events in Canada with each experiencing tremendous success. Collectively, the 18 events have seen more than 330,000 fans in attendance and millions worldwide watching on pay-per-view. The seven host cities to date – Calgary, Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg and Quebec City – have had a cumulative gross gate of close to $62M and millions more in economic impact. UFC events have set single-day event gate records in four Canadian venues: Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome (UFC 149), Montreal’s Bell Centre (UFC 124), Toronto’s Rogers Centre (UFC 129) and Winnipeg’s MTS Centre (UFC 161).
For more information or current fight news, visit ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
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