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UFC Partnered With Make-A-Wish of Southern Nevada To Provide A VIP Wish Experience For Jayson Gholson-Clark And His Family.
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UFC & Make-A-Wish Of Southern Nevada Grant VIP Wish Experience For Heart Transplant Recipient

UFC Partnered With Make-A-Wish of Southern Nevada To Provide A VIP Wish Experience For Jayson Gholson-Clark And His Family.

UFC Partnered With Make-A-Wish of Southern Nevada To Provide A VIP Wish Experience For Jayson Gholson-Clark And His Family, As Part Of UFC 285: Jones vs Gane Fight Week.

Jayson, 14, recently received a heart transplant from an MMA athlete, and as a Las Vegas native, his wish was an easy choice, attend UFC 285 and tour UFC HQ!

“Each Wish kid is a fighter, so the stars align when they ask to meet UFC athletes or tour the fantastic UFC facilities,” said Make-A-Wish of Southern Nevada President Scott Rosenzweig. “UFC has partnered with Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada in many ways, but when you see a kid who received a heart transplant from an MMA fighter in the Octagon, it puts their medical journey in the rearview mirror. Thank you to team UFC for helping us administer the prescription of hope to children with critical illnesses.”  

UFC & Make-A-Wish Of Southern Nevada Grant VIP Wish Experience For Heart Transplant Recipient
UFC & Make-A-Wish Of Southern Nevada Grant VIP Wish Experience For Heart Transplant Recipient
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During his visit, UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin gave Jayson a full tour of UFC HQ, including the Performance Institute, where he met many athletes, such as former bantamweight champion Peter Yan, former flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo, and current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling

“Jayson’s experience was a dream that many have, but few get to realize,” said Kendra Clark, Jayson’s mother. “Jayson will never forget this experience. In a way, two dreams were realized, as Jayson became a part of UFC, and Athena, his heart donor, stepped inside the ring one more time.” 

Jayson received a VIP merchandise duffel bag, complete with a custom UFC | Venum Fight Kit, Project Rock BSR 3 training shoes, 30th anniversary gloves, a miniature UFC belt and more! He was also surprised by video messages from middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and former featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor, who both offered words of encouragement.

UFC and Make-A-Wish of Southern Nevada grant VIP wish experience for Jayson Gholson-Clark, including a video message from Conor McGregor.

UFC and Make-A-Wish of Southern Nevada grant VIP wish experience for Jayson Gholson-Clark, including a video message from Conor McGregor.


Jayson later attended the UFC 285 ceremonial weigh-ins at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Backstage, he met UFC President Dana White, former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic and heavyweight champion Jon Jones! He also attended UFC 285 and took a tour of the Octagon post event.

Established in 1980, Make-A-Wish of Southern Nevada has provided more than 2,500 wishes for children throughout the state of Nevada. To learn more, please visit MAWSN.

UFC’s corporate social responsibility program, #UFCInTheCommunity, strategically collaborates with partners, sponsors, and athletes to develop additional charitable programs and funding sources to help bolster and inspire the local community. For more information, please visit UFCFOUNDATION.  

UFC 285: Jones vs Gane took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 4, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass