Angela Magana has been in the headlines a lot over the last several week’s thanks to her run-in with another fighter at the UFC athlete retreat but now, there is a better reason for her to make the news.

Around a month ago, give or take a week or so, Angela Magana was in Las Vegas attending the UFC athlete retreat with 400 or more of her work colleagues. The promotion brought the entire roster of fighters for the grand opening of a brand new facility which includes the new head office.

Now prior to this gathering of talent, Magana and Cris Cyborg had been in a war of words over social media. The words turned nasty when the two came face-to-face during the retreat. Cyborg punched Magana in the face and all hell broke lose. Police were involved and the case is currently on-going.

Magana has not been in action since July of 2015. So how did she suddenly get back into the frame? Where has she been? What has she been doing? Come with me and I will answer those very questions.

After her loss to promotional newcomer, Michelle Waterson in 2015 Magana all but disappeared off the face of the planet. Some thought she had been cut from the UFC while others thought she may have retired from the sport she so dearly loves. Both assumptions were wrong.

Magana had to overcome both injuries and personal issues before fighting would ever come back into her life but just like she has done before, she overcame everything put before her. It all started in the camp and build up to the Michelle Waterson fight.

Angela was involved in a custody battle for her daughter and was very badly injured during the fight camp. These two things put together made for a very uncomfortable few months prior to the fight and an even longer period of recovery post fight.

“I was injured before the fight,” Magana told cagepages.com in an exclusive sit down. “I had a broken clavicle and dislocated ribs. I was broken going into that fight and the only reason I agreed to the fight when I was broken was cause I needed to make some money to pay off my Lawyer bills. So I fought injured to wipe off that debt. I thought I would be strong enough on my one side and control things but I couldn’t’ control s**t in that fight.”

The struggle of being pretty badly injured before a big fight was made worse by Magana’s ex who decided to choose that particular point of her life to drag them both into a custody battle. A battle which affected all involved.

“I was dealing with my ex that whole time. I was literally getting ready to get on the scale [to weigh-in] and I had my daughter calling me up crying, upset because that week he decided to do a DNA test. I knew he was going to do this to try and cost me more money, to break me. But I didn’t give up. He gave up. I had a really good lawyer so he f***ed himself.”

Magana lost the fight but won her personal battles and it was thanks to that victory that she was able to start a brand new chapter in her and her daughter’s life. The court case had been won and the UFC had been made aware that she would be out until both the physical and emotional injuries had been healed. A family holiday was in order so she could relax and recover.

The Magana family jumped on a plane and headed to Puerto Rico. A beautiful place that would capture their hearts and soon become their new home. The feisty 115-pound fighter loved her holiday destination so much she now resides there and is changing lives one right hook at a time.

The neighbourhood of La Perla is where Magana calls home, living and training. It is a very violent place known for its drug-related crime and gangs, a place that needed something new and fresh to help ease that violence. Insert one, Angela Magana and a new boxing and MMA gym.

A sea front property was given to Magana after an old drug lord was run out of the neighbourhood. A huge location perfect for a gym.

After meetings with government officials and other key figures in and around the area, La Perla Boxing was born. More than just a gym, Magana hopes it will get people off the streets, out of the violent activity and help bring something positive to their lives.

“I moved into this neighbourhood, La Perla, where the children grow up to be murderers and drug dealers and I saw that they needed an outlet, some way to channel that energy instead of falling into the same path of their fathers. The kids used to watch me train outside with my coaches in the basketball courts and they got interested in training so we started there.

The classes will be free, there will be no costs for anyone. Here in Puerto Rico, nobody pays to learn how to box. If they want to box they can do it for free, in La Perla you don’t pay for lights or water so there will be no overhead costs running the gym. It will be run off donations, donations which keep coming in. People are donating bags, gloves, building equipment. It’s a beautiful thing.”

According to Magana the gym itself is growing at a very healthy rate and is probably about 4-months away from being complete. It will be a place of refuge, learning and teaching. Somewhere for the troubled youth to come and get away from the violence and turmoil that has been so prevalent throughout their childhood.

“These kids are the highest of high risk. I want to provide supportive ad constructive avenues for mental, emotional and physical healing. I want to aid in rebuilding the lives of those of those who have experienced and endured the pain of unprecedented traumas.

Those few who can see and understand the pain, reach out, and take action to help redirect the pain are the angels who walk the land. I had one, and now I want to pay it forward.”

Want your voice heard? Join the Cage Pages team! Write for us!

In a world where negative and terrible news takes centre stage let’s hope this positive story catches like wildfire. A beautiful way to give back to her new home.