Motu's mum introduced her to boxing. As a part of an athletic family, boxing was a way to keep fit. But it was her coach Issac Peach that drove her to the success she has seen.
"I never thought I'd be a pro fighter until I met my coach Issac Peach. From the day I walked into his house he told me I was gonna be a world champion and that I was gonna be the best pro fighter in the world. I looked at him like, 'you've never seen me fight, you don't know', because back then I didn't think I could punch, and look at me now. I'm eighth in the world and I definitely can bang bigger than most women in the world."
Motu, who holds New Zealand titles in four divisions, has no worries heading into the show, with a plan of attack set by Peach.
"I'm not nervous, I'm excited. I'm ready to put our name on the map, that's what it is. I want everyone in the world to know what Māori people are all about."
Peach says: "She's gonna win it. The only reason we're in it is to win it. We're not here to come second. One hundred per cent, she'll win it."
With a prize pool of $2 million for the winner of the show, Motu says she is looking at giving back to the sport that has given her success.
As final words of encouragement for younger kids looking at getting into the sport, she says: "Don't let anyone tell you, 'you can't do it'. Find someone that will push you and tell you 'you can be great'. Listen to them."
Motu will be flying out to Las Vegas for the show at the beginning of the New Year, and the show will premiere in Aotearoa in the summer of 2023.
