A man from Marlborough has defied the odds, by winning a competitive fight despite having had major surgery.

Stephen Todman had his kidney removed in in September 2021 but was determined to bounce back from the experience and go back to what he loves doing- Mixed Martial Arts.

Mixed Martial Arts is a combination of Martial Arts, incorporating techniques from boxing, wrestling and other disciplines.

It is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, and requires a great deal of preparation, but poses more risk to Stephen whose kidney’s aren’t protected by his ribs.

He said: “I do have to be wary about how I’m protecting myself, how I’m moving and what parts of me are presented as a target.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald: Stephen Todman, post surgery in September 2021.Stephen Todman, post surgery in September 2021. (Image: Stephen Todman)

“Intelligent defence is the main thing for me.”

The fight took place on September 3, hosted by Raged UK, and despite being a long time coming for Stephen, the big day didn’t last long.

He said: “The actual fight was over in nine seconds, because I knocked my opponent out.

“It isn’t usually over that quickly, although fights can be unpredictable. Some people made a jokes about paying for a ticket to see something that was over pretty quickly- but the place absolutely exploded when it happened.

“It was a great feeling.

“I have had absolutely no repercussions at all, and have felt no different to how I did before.

“There is a question about whether or not I train up to do another fight.

“I’m in two minds about it because on one hand, I could do it again, but its not always going to be that easy.

“I’ll still be training, focusing on my mental health as well as my fitness levels because the two go hand in hand.”

Dr Adnan Sharif, consultant nephrologist and trustee at Kidney Research UK said: “Generally, sports and exercise after a transplant are to be encouraged, to help maintain good physical and mental health, with sensible consideration given to risk.

“After a kidney transplant, the main risk to taking part in any contact sport is damage to the kidney through contact with other competitors.

“This is because the transplanted kidney is situated closer to the surface of the skin than the original ‘native’ kidneys. Consequently many patients are warned against taking part in contact sports such as rugby and some martial arts, or to take additional precautions wherever possible.”