A Hawke's Bay fighter is making a unique trip home from a training camp in Thailand this week, to hand over some of his winnings to the family of a 3-year-old caught up in his own fight - against leukemia.
The presentation of at least $3000 will be made when Pane Haraki, from Hastings, appears in a Clash of the Titans promotion in Auckland on Saturday night.
It comes from a bout last month with former world kickboxing champion Mike Angove, an Aucklander coming out of retirement a year after himself having been diagnosed with cancer.
Haraki, whose father had died from cancer complications late last year, hunted out the fight when he heard what the proceeds were for.
He told Angove, a former journalist, he thought the fight would be good for him.
"Although he said he would get me a purse for the fight, when he said he was donating his to cancer I didn't think twice and offered to donate mine to the charity as well."
It was Pane "The Punisher" Haraki who emerged victorious in the Full Thai rules Super fight, a split decision.
He said the cause was more important.
"Cancer is such an insidious disease, although the win was a real highlight, the opportunity to draw attention to early detection and raise some money for the cause was something I couldn't let pass," he said.
His preparation was arduous, heading to Phuket Top Team in Thailand and training up to five times a day to re-hone his stand-up skills and hit peak physical fitness.
On Saturday he fights undefeated Aucklander Simon Scott, in a light-heavyweight title elimination bout.