A Bay of Plenty woman is hoping to raise $6000 for her next MMA fight in America in December.

Faith Van Duin - a single mother of two girls - is currently on a 12-week training camp preparing for her next fight.

Faith Van Duin is fighting in America in December.

The 28-year-old says 'financially it gets a bit hard” when working full-time, training three times a day and being a single mum.

'I decided to fund raise to help with the costs,” says Faith. 'I am also needing funds for a flight to America for one of my trainers as only one trainer is paid for from InvictaFC.”

Faith, who is the only New Zealand woman signed to Invicta - the largest Women's MMA promotion in the world - has been training in mixed martial arts for the last two and half years.

The Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist wanted to set an example for her daughters.

'Two and a half years ago I was getting bigger and lazier,” she says.” I had a gym membership but never used it, so I thought to myself, is this what I want my daughters to grow up and see?

'It wasn't. So I sat down and thought about what I could do to push myself. I had been talking to a friend that did MMA and it sounded exciting but hard. I sat down with my mum and set goals so I had something to push for and never give up.

'Before I started MMA my goal was to become number one in the world and since then I have never looked back.

'I'm doing this to show my daughters that with dedication and hard work, anything is possible. I will be world champion and all the way from Papamoa, New Zealand.”

With nine fights and only one loss, Faith is working her way to her number one goal.

She is currently running a raffle to help raise the money she needs to get to America.

Tickets can be purchased via Facebook – Faith 'The Immortal” Van Duin – or picked up from Beachgrove Holiday Park from 10am and 12pm.

She adds; 'The raffle will have an outdoor glamour shoot, with hair and makeup included, valued at $400 which has been donated by Momentum Photography and Y. Make up & Hair, plus clothes that have been donated from the Mauao Mauao clothes brand thanks to Daniel Daines-Hutt.

'I'm adding more as I put the raffle together. I will also be setting up a Give a Little page. My trainer Kelvin from Hybrid MMA will also be putting his body on the line for the cause and doing $1 sprawls. So each dollar that is donated, he will do one sprawl.

'I am also looking for sponsors that will want to jump on board and support a local fighter going to America and the first women MMA fighter to do so in New Zealand.”

If anyone is interested, please email Faith's team on” [email protected]

'At the end of the day,” she says, 'any support would be amazing - even if it was just some encouraging words.”