Naz Khanjani missed out on securing a ring in reality TV dating show The Bachelor NZ - but tonight she has a date with a ring of a different type.
The show's runner up will tonight make her long-awaited debut in the boxing ring, taking on Bella Henry; daughter of broadcaster Paul Henry.
The pair's clash is the first bout on the undercard of Kiwi heavyweight boxing star Joseph Parker's fight against German giant Alexander Dimitrenko.
Bella Henry initially put her hand up to fight Khanjani in June, losing out to Mai FM DJ Lily Taurau, who told Khanjani "You want a nose job? Well I'm going to give you one".
Bella Henry will be hoping to have her smile intact after her fight. Photo / photosport
But Khanjani's storied boxing career has certainly hit a few snags to get to this point.
She didn't end up fighting Taurau after pulling out with a kidney infection hours before the bout. She also famously stormed out of an interview with TV3's Heather du Plessis-Allan in the lead-up to the aborted fight.
But now Khanjani finally has her chance. After telling Woman's Day "Life's all about taking risks, grabbing every opportunity you can and just going for it," she is definitely going for it.
Naz flexes her muscles at the weigh in. Photo / photosport
Khanjani has shied away from the media this time around, and has been more focused on diet and training.
"I've stayed away from alcohol for almost two months now. I've just been drinking plenty of water, keeping clean and really concentrating very hard not to get sick. I've been eating really clean - just chicken, fish, broccoli, staying away from fast food, doing a lot of cardio, going for runs," she said.
Henry and Khanjani traded words at Friday night's weigh-in, where Bella officially weighed in at 56.92kg, while Naz weighed in at 53.35kg.
Henry has made her own plans to rearrange Khanjani's face.
"It's one thing to talk it up, it's another thing to perform," said Naz.
"I'm feeling good. Feeling confident."
Henry will have Joseph Parker on her side, saying "I asked him before if he was Team Bella and he said yes."
"That's the only thing important to me - that he's on my side."
If you want to see which face gets rearranged, the fight is available on Sky Arena and Sky FanPass for $39.95, with coverage beginning at 8pm.
The NZ Herald Online will also provide live updates.
