He’s fought on some of the world’s biggest stages, but Samoan fighter Sigi Pesaleli says his greatest victory is happening right here at home.
From a sleepout in Otara to a growing gym in Otahuhu, Sigi and his partner Erika Matafeo are using their shared passion for training to help others through their community gym, Desire for Greatness (D4G).
“What’s important to me is that they have good character outside the ring,” Sigi says.
“Good manners to elders, being respectful in the community – that’s success to me.”
Before dedicating himself to teaching, Sigi was one of New Zealand’s rising stars in combat sports. He won the King in the Ring – The Force 4-Man Eliminator and became a WKA Commonwealth kickboxing champion, achievements that earned him a place in the Professional Fighters League (PFL) in the United States, one of the world’s top mixed martial arts competitions.
“ I couldn’t believe it. I was like ‘wow’,” he says.
“I was this kid from Ōtara, suddenly sharing the same space as fighters I’d grown up watching on TV.”
At the height of his career, Sigi was travelling between New Zealand and the United States, competing and training among some of the world’s best.
But while things were taking off inside the ring, life outside it had taken a hit. His father was battling health issues and Erika faced her own struggles after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
“I was fighting and having to deal with all of that in the background. It was a blessing, but at the same time, I didn’t know why everything was happening at once,” he says.
After just half a year in the PFL, Sigi decided to walk away from the fight game to focus on his family.
“It took me a couple of years [to get over it]. I tried to drink the problem away but it wouldn’t go. One day I said ‘this is enough’. I stopped everything, stayed sober, focused, and I got my answers. God gave me the answers.”
During Erika’s most difficult periods, the couple spent time together inside hospital wards. Sigi would bring in his pads and gloves so Erika could train alongside him, using movement and focus to ease her anxiety and lift her spirits.
“I felt trapped in my body from the medication. Training and sweating freed me. He was there to help me through that,” Erika says.
Those moments revealed how powerful training could be as a form of healing. What began as a way to get through their own challenges soon became something they wanted to share with others.
Together they built D4G from the ground up, starting in their family sleepout in Ōtara. Thirty kids would crowd onto the mats while parents watched from outside.
Now based in Otahuhu, the gym has become a home for people of all ages and backgrounds.
“Sometimes they come shy, no confidence, no eye contact,” Sigi says.
“But the more classes they do, the more confident they get. You see them believe in themselves and become better people.”
Many of the young people who come through D4G have faced tough upbringings or been referred through schools and community programmes. Some live with ADHD or autism, while others have spent time in youth care or prison.
Erika says creating a safe and understanding environment is a core part of what they do.
“Parents let us know about their kids’ health issues,” she says.
“We make sure all our coaches are aware.”
For Sigi, those lessons in empathy were learned through experience.
“That really humbled me,” he says.
“Seeing my partner in the wards with her mental health made me more understanding of people, it made me a more loving person.”
Today, the man who once fought for glory in international arenas has found peace teaching others how to fight for something greater.
“I tell them success isn’t about being a world-class fighter.
“It’s about being respectful, showing good manners and being a good family member.”
After everything he and Erika have overcome, Sigi says he finally understands his purpose.
“I’m happy because I look around me and I’ve got a big family now – a D4G family and I give it to them now. I give what I learn, I give it to my people now.”
