After receiving a life-changing bone marrow transplant, he has transferred his fighting spirit to the boxing ring.
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Dugdale, 20, from Liskeard, Cornwall, has aplastic anemia, a condition in which the bone marrow and stem cells do not produce enough blood cells.
In the race to find a bone marrow donor, his family organized a mass swab in 2022 to find a compatible donor.
But it was the Anthony Nolan charity that put him in touch with a 29-year-old German man for the transplant, giving him a second chance at life.
Since the operation, he has followed his passion for mixed martial arts (MMA).
He won his first amateur fight at the Meltdown Fighting Championships in Bristol in September and recently met his hero Tyson Fury.
Having only started training in February, he said MMA was “everything” to him.
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“My coaches and friends convinced me to take my first fight, just go all out and have my MFA fight,” Dugdale said.
“I went there, executed it and got the knockout in the second round.
“I think I’m going to stick with MMA now because it’s everything.”
He had the opportunity to train with Tyson Fury through the children’s charity Rays of Sunshine.
Through children’s charity Rays of Sunshine, Dugdale recently visited Fury at the boxer’s gym in Morecambe.
“It was a little mind-blowing when I met him,” he said.
“I’ve seen him on TV. I’ve seen him my whole life. We jumped right on the pads, I was with him for about 45 minutes. It was good, really good.
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“His words were ‘the kid can box’ and he was impressed with my skills.”
‘Bright future’
Rays of Sunshine chief executive Amy Chambers said Dugdale had shown “remarkable courage and determination in returning to the boxing ring following his diagnosis and treatment”.
“Seeing his wish to meet his hero come true has been incredibly special,” he said.
“Our sincerest thanks to Tyson and his team for creating a day Charlie will never forget.
“Moments like this fuel your motivation and inspire a bright future full of possibilities.”
Dugdale said he would continue training but was still mindful of his recovery.
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“That’s just my debut fight, I have to be careful with my health. I still have some things I need to figure out and next year I’m going to get the ball rolling and have a few more fights,” he said.
“I just need to be careful and not rush and get sick again.”
As his recovery continues, Dugdale said he hoped to meet his German donor when he and his family go on holiday to the UK next year.
His mother, Danielle, said on the second anniversary of his transplant that her son “reached out to his donor and sent him a letter saying, ‘Thank you for saving my life.'”
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“(But) before we had the chance, his donor contacted us,” he added.
“I never wanted to hug a man I don’t know anymore.”
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