Avila has one final bout to set her legacy

That documentary, called, ‘Glena,’ directed by Allan Luebke, premiered at the Slamdance Festival on Jan. 18, 2014 and later went mainstream on Showtime in 2015.

Avila still gets mail and notes from men and women all over the world telling her how she has played an inspirational part of their lives.

“It is a surreal feeling when you think about it,” Avila said. “I was just doing what came natural to me and somebody caught it on film and it ended up being something bigger than myself. I feel blessed that sharing my story and the hardships and obstacles that I have had to overcome helped other people find a place where they belong and inspired them to find those hopes and dreams and other things that they may have forgotten about in their life. It doesn’t have to athletic or fighting or something like that, but just something that means so much to them that they want to pursue it.”

This Saturday at the Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City, Avila jumps in the cage for the final time in a 120-pound bout against Angela Danzig for the KOTC Women’s Superfight World Title.

Retirement has yet to sink in for Avila, 43, as she is mainly preparing for her title fight.

Although some athletes grapple with the idea of hanging it up, Avila is at ease with the decision, adding that she will have a bigger role in the sport down the road.

“It is not like I feel like I can’t physically do it anymore or anything like that, it is just that I am ready for new adventures and I am ready to explore other avenues in this sport, because I feel I have a lot more to give than being an athlete in a cage,” Avila said. “I still have the same love for the sport. That part is never going to go away. I feel like there is more for me to give and more for me to do now that I have the experience of being in this sport for more than nine years.”

Avila went 6-0 in her amateur career and then burst onto the professional scene with an armbar submission victory over Angelica Nicolson on Jun. 17, 2011 and had another armbar submission win against Maria Andaverde on Dec. 3, 2011.

She then lost two close decisions in 2012 and 2013, but posted back-to-back wins in 2014, as she defeated Katie Howard by decision and was credited with a knockout of Stevie VanAssche.

Over her last four fights, Avila is 2-2, with her last win coming on Aug. 5, 2017 by unanimous decision against Katie Howard.

While it will be nearly a year since her last action in the octagon, Avila says she is healthy and ready for Danzig and the challenges she brings.

Danzig, out of Danzig MMA in Southern California, is trained by her husband and former UFC fighter, Matt Danzig.

I am fighting a very tough girl. I always fight tough girls. I don’t shy away from a challenge and there’s no change here. I am fighting a very tough opponent, Angela Danzig, out Danzig MMA in Southern California, where her trainer is her husband, former UFC fighter, Mac Danzig.

Both veteran fighters have previously fought for the strawweight title and lost close bouts.

Organizers from King of the Cage approached both Avila and Danzig for this 120-pound showdown to celebrate the top-2 contenders in the world.

“That’s a pretty big deal, just that in of itself,” Avila said. “I have this opportunity. And now, if I win this, that’s saying that I am No. 1 in my bracket.”

Overall, Danzig is 2-3 as a professional with two decision wins, two submission losses and a tough decision loss.

Last time Danzig fought, she lost by unanimous decision versus Stephanie Frausto on June 24, 2017.

In preparing for Danzig, Avila said she has worked on a little bit of everything, because Danzig has a vast repertoire that she can display in the ring.

“A lot of the times when you look at fighters and you study them, they have a clear strength, whether they are good at grappling or boxing, but the thing about Angela Danzig is that she is so well-rounded that it is hard to tell what her game plan or strategy will be,” Avila said. “I have to go in there 100-percent ready for anything. I am also very well-rounded. It is hard for people to tell what I am going bring to the table. She has no idea what I have in store for her. I expect this fight to be an absolute war and a fight that people are going to be talking about for years to come.”

Avila and Danzig had previously been slated to fight, but an injury sidelined Avila.

Through her career, Avila has dealt with various injuries from a broken nose, broken wrist, two broken hands, a dislocated shoulder, even a skull fracture at one point, that put her out for between six months to a year at a time.

While not one to sulk about those injuries and missed fights, Avila expressed how frustrating it was that her momentum was stunted by freak occurrences.

“Injuries have caused a bit of a roller coaster in my career. I cannot lie about that,” Avila said. “When injuries happen, you have to deal with it and not feel sorry for yourself. It is about getting back in and figuring out what’s next and how to approach rehab.

“You work as hard at rehabbing as you do your training for a fight. You have to mentally strong and you can’t quit on yourself.

“You have to be constantly telling yourself that you can do it.

“Even when it hurts and even when you want to quit, you have to keep telling yourself that it is no big deal and you got this. It is a tough situation at the moment, but by getting through it, you will be glad that you finished.”

There is a certain stigma attached to being a professional MMA fighter that Avila has had to deal with over the years.

She has been told time and time again that MMA is a boy’s sport, that she is too old, or shouldn’t participate because she’s a mother or because she’s poor.

Instead of being bitter about any outside chatter, she is using her platform to encourage young girls to think outside the box, to figure out a real meaning for their lives and for them tackle the next phase and embrace the challenges ahead to make their dreams a reality.

“When people bombard me with negativity, I feel like sticking my middle finger in their face and saying that I can do whatever I want to do,” Avila said. “I feel like I have done it. I have accomplished everything that I have set out to do in the sport.

“Right now, I am setting out to fight in one of the hardest fights of my career and walk out the door with my head held high, knowing that I have proved to a lot of people that you don’t have to follow other people’s rules. You can write your own rules.”

As her journey has progressed, Avila has come across many important figures in the MMA world that have paved the way.

Using the fight as motivation, Avila looks to her mother, Karen Wilson, as an influential role model who has evolved from uncertainty and apprehension into her biggest fan.

Recently, Wilson was diagnosed with cancer during a fight camp and Avila asked her mother if she should stop training to take care of her while she is undergoing treatments and checkups.

“She was adamant that I do not drop out of this fight and that I do this last fight and that I do it for me,” Avila said. “We have been doing pretty well. I do my training and take her to her doctor appointments and take care of her. It has been going really well and I am happy to report that she is recovering well enough where she can be at my fight. She will be sitting in the front row, and I am sure she will be screaming the loudest.”

Avila’s son, Angel, a 2011 graduate of The Dalles High School, is currently 25-years old and living in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and is married with a child due in August.

Antonia Avila, 17, is a junior attending high school in Damascus, and Avila’s father, Glen Wilson, resides in Wisconsin.

“My family is everything to me. They give me that extra push to want more from myself,” she said. “They put life into perspective. They were part of that documentary a few years back and they are growing up so quickly that it is crazy. They both have no interest in fighting and it is not something I have forced on them. They can go and pursue whatever they want in life. I just want them to see how perseverance and working hard towards a goal can take you a long way in life.”

The King of the Cage Grand Finale is slated for 6 p.m. this Saturday in Lincoln City.

Doors open at 5 p.m.

For ticket information, visit www.kingofthecage.com.