UFC fighter Dan Hooker plans to direct his heartbreak and frustration over the death of his friend Fau Vake into changing the law for coward punches.
Daniel Havili, who killed Vake with a single punch last year, was sentenced earlier this week to two years and nine months in jail.
He killed MMA fighter Vake with a single punch to the side of head.
Following Havili's light sentencing this week there have been growing calls for a "one-punch" law, similar to the one seen in Australia.
In New South Wales the law's minimum sentence is eight years and Hooker wants to see something similar here in New Zealand.
"In two years' time he'll be back in town with his mates, potentially does this to someone else.
"As a sentenced handed down for killing a close friend of mine it's heartbreaking," he added.
Hooker plans to direct his heartbreak and frustration into something constructive - changing New Zealand's coward punch law.
"I'm extremely upset about this situation but what marshall arts has taught me is to direct my anger, direct my aggression into something constructive,"
"If I can direct this into a law change, direct this into potentially not happening to someone else, this not happening to another family, to another friend, another father, another brother, that we don't see this kind of thing continue to happen in New Zealand is what I would attempt to draw out of this situation," he added.
Hooker told The Project he has been calling for a coward punch law which Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said she wouldn't support.
Hooker said the Ardern's reason for not bringing in a coward punch law would cap the ability to send someone to prison for longer.
"Well that's not the case, this in my opinion is the worse state of offending in a coward punch that you could possibly come [across]."
Vake was attacked by a group of four men outside an Auckland bar in the early hours of May 16 2021.
Following a series of other punches from others, Vake was punched by Havili in the side of the head while he had his hands by his side. Vake was unable to break his fall and his head hit the asphalt road.
Vake's fall caused a skull fracture and bleeding to the brain, which, despite surgery, could not be recovered from.
Vake died in hospital nine days later.
Watch the full interview above.
