Last Thursday UFC® made a financial contribution to OzHarvest through its UFC Community Works™ initiative. UFC Community Works™ is designed to make a meaningful impact on Australian communities where UFC events are held.

“OzHarvest simultaneously saves quality food from being sent to landfill landfills while making a positive impact in the lives of so many in-need Australians,” said Tom Wright, UFC® Executive Vice-President and General Manager for Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

In support of the contribution, UFC® hosted an Ultimate Cook Off at Federation Square in Melbourne. UFC® athletes—including No. 1 UFC® heavyweight contender & former UFC® heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, No. 1 UFC® flyweight contender Joseph Benavidez, No. 1 UFC® strawweight contender Claudia Gadelha, No. 7 UFC® bantamweight contender Julianna Pena and UFC®lightweight Ross Pearson—split up into teams headed by local celebrity chefs Adam D’Sylva (CODA), Shane Delia (Maha) and Scott Pickett (Saint Crispin and Estelle). Each team was tasked with preparing the best meal using ingredients rescued by OzHarvest.

“The support from the UFC Community Works program will allow OzHarvest to deliver a further 30,000 more meals to Melbournians in need. We are so thrilled that UFC is committed to giving back to our local communities, to people in need and making a positive impact on the environment at the same time,” Ronni Kahn, CEO & Founder of OzHarvest.