UFC Champs Team Up with Mayor Alves for New Danbury Youth Program

Mayor Roberto Alves just announced a new partnership between the City of Danbury, the Danbury War Memorial, and UFC legends Glover Teixeira and Alex “Poatan” Pereira. The group is launching an after-school mixed martial arts program for local kids, set to kick off in early 2026 at the War Memorial.

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The space is currently being renovated to include a dedicated training area where students can learn discipline, confidence, and fitness from world-class instructors.

The program will be funded through the city’s 3% cannabis sales tax revenue — money that goes straight back into youth programs and community development.

Teixeira, a longtime Danbury resident and former UFC Champion, said he’s excited to give back to the city that supported his career. Mayor Alves added that programs like this help kids “learn, grow, and believe in themselves” while building a stronger community.

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This is an unbelievably exciting time to live in Danbury — and if you can’t see that, I bid you adieu. Please, pack up your things and head for the warm shores of Florida, where you can bake yourself into oblivion and keep telling everyone that “at least it’s not cold.”

No matter your politics, you’ve got to admit there’s something special in the air here. The Hat City has intangibles — diversity, safety, and a pulse of ambition that’s contagious in the best way possible. It feels like something is building here, and it’s the kind of energy that can actually make the world a better place.

And thank God Alex Pereira happens to be a good dude, because let’s be honest — that man might be the most terrifying human currently walking the planet.