Liver transplant recipient takes to the octagon in first MMA bout this weekend

Calgary Herald

27-06-2025

Rebecca Troxel, 36, has long dreamed of picking up combative sports, but between complications from a liver transplant and a battle with endometriosis, she never had the chance – until now.
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Troxel received the transplant when she was just nine years old, after being diagnosed with biliary atresia, a life-threatening liver disease, when she was a baby. She's been on medication ever since, and has also dealt with multiple rejections.
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'I've always wanted to do some sort of boxing, or something like that,' Troxel said. 'I started getting slammed with social media ads for Champions Rise.'
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But despite her initial hesitation, Troxel eventually signed up for her first season in September of 2024 – and for a second season in February after just a few days off.
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'I had an injury last season, so I didn't end up fighting,' Troxel said. 'I wanted to come back for a redemption this season.'
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Her debut fight takes place tonight at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino, and though she's hoping for a win, it's about more than that for her.
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'I'm trying to just focus on gratitude,' Troxel said. 'More than anything, the last year of training has taught me that I'm capable of so much more than I thought.'
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'When you have chronic illness like endo or or growing up in the hospital, a lot of people just kind of discount you for things,' she said.
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'You get a little bit of that in your head, thinking, 'Maybe I can't do this' – but I can, and I'm here.'
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'It's been very rewarding to work with her,' Troxel's coach, Mike Smallwood, said. 'She's a really hard worker.'
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'We have high expectations, so there's always going to be a transformation that's going to happen.' Smallwood said. 'She was very resilient and worked her way through it.'
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Smallwood trained both Troxel and her opponent, so he's not rooting for a particular outcome for Friday's fight, but said it could go either way.
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'It's a fair match up,' he said. 'Honestly, I do not know who will win this.'
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