Kickboxer turned boxer Dane Edge (Ngāti Maniapoto) will fight in the BX-9 Welterweight Championship Tournament on July 31 in Auckland against Olympian John Ume.

Murupara-born Edge is a highly experienced combat sports fighter who fought across Muay Thai, kickboxing, MMA and professional boxing. He fights out of South Island Lee Garr under the legendary trainer Wayne Vaega.

Edge began his professional boxing career in 2023, when he defeated highly experienced amateur boxer Rendz Remaneses. From there, Edge took on only high-risk fights in New Zealand and Australia, where he was always the underdog.

He has three wins and three losses. Even though he has a 50/50 record, two of his wins were major upsets and his three losses were title fights.

He was introduced into the BX-9 promotion in June 2025, where he took on Hunter Ioane, who had 21 fights to his name, whereas at the time Edge had two professional fights.

Edge won the fight by unanimous decision, impressing the crowd and the promoter of BX-9, Oz Jabur.

Edge earned his opportunity to take part in the BX-9 Welterweight Championship Tournament, with the winner earning $14000 and a major international title.

In the quarter finals in May this year, Edge took on undefeated Leon Budgen, one of the favourites to win the tournament. Budgen was famours for beating UFC Legend Shane Young.

After the fight against Young, Budgen called out Edge – a random draw that put the two together for the tournament in the quarter finals.

Edge, coming in as the underdog again, shocked the boxing community and won almost every round against Budgen by unanimous decision.

Edge will have a tough task ahead of him as he will again be the underdog in the semi-finals, where he takes on Olympian John Ume from Papua New Guinea.

Ume has had a lot of success in his professional boxing career, winning fights across Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. He is watched very closely as Oceania’s hottest prospect in professional boxing.

Ume fought in the quarter finals on May 2 against Australian Alex Lual, which would arguably be the hardest fight to get in the random draw. The fight was a 50/50 fight, with Ume’s amateur background and momentum and Lual’s professional boxing experience.

Ume won that fight by a close split decision, sending him into the semifinals.