Nuanu Doubles Support for Fight For A Cure as Bali’s Boxing Community Rallies Behind Cancer Research

Fight For A Cure returns to Nuanu Creative City today for its fourth edition, bringing together more than 30 gyms from across Bali, 40 fighters and over 1,500 supporters around one shared purpose: raising support for cancer research.

This year, Nuanu Social Fund (NSF) is increasing its support for Germ Cell’s annual initiative to nearly Rp117 million (approximately US$6,500), more than doubling its Rp45 million (approximately US$2,500) contribution in 2025. The increased commitment builds on the momentum of last year’s event and reflects NSF’s continued investment in community-led initiatives with measurable social impact.

That impact is already visible through Germ Cell’s wider work. To date, Germ Cell has contributed approximately Rp1.5 billion (US$83,000) to cancer research, supporting work at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, alongside research led by Dr Kim Alexander and Professor Jeremy Crook.

Germ Cell supports work addressing some of the most difficult challenges in cancer care, from earlier detection and identifying recurrence to developing more effective treatments for aggressive forms of the disease. Dr Kim Alexander is investigating whether a simple blood test could help detect the return of glioblastoma and track how patients respond to treatment, while Professor Jeremy Crook is exploring ways to help cancer drugs reach tumour cells more effectively. Funding for Chris O’Brien Lifehouse also supports its broader cancer research and care.

Founded by two-time cancer survivor Kai Suteja, Germ Cell created Fight For A Cure as a way to turn personal experience into collective action. What began within Bali’s fitness community has developed into an annual boxing fundraiser connecting local fighters, gyms, businesses and supporters with cancer research beyond the island.

That personal connection is also reflected in the fighters stepping into the ring. Anatoli of Lions MMA lost his aunt to blood cancer when he was a child, an experience that helped lead him to boxing; this year, he is fighting in her memory. Jake of The Block, meanwhile, is dedicating his fight to his parents, both of whom have survived cancer. Their stories add a personal dimension to the wider community effort behind Fight For A Cure, where fighters, gyms, businesses and supporters come together around a shared cause.

“For a lot of people taking part in Fight For A Cure, cancer is personal. Many have lost someone or seen someone they care about go through it. This is their way of taking some of that power back. A lot of the fighters are fighting for people who couldn’t. Win or lose, the real victory is the money we raise for cancer research. Better science means better outcomes, and I think that’s something everyone can get behind,” said Kai Suteja, Founder of Germ Cell.

For Nuanu Social Fund, the increased contribution reflects its continued commitment to initiatives that have demonstrated sustained community participation in Bali and a clear social purpose.

“We increased our support because Fight For A Cure has already shown that it can mobilise a community and turn that participation into something concrete,” said Ida Ayu Astari Prada, Head of Nuanu Social Fund. “It has built consistent participation from Bali’s fitness community while creating a clear connection between that collective effort and cancer research. For NSF, that is a strong model of impact - local participation that can be translated into support for work with real relevance for patients.”

Fight For A Cure takes place today, 3 October 2026, at Block 42, Nuanu Creative City. Now in its fourth edition, the event continues to bring Bali’s fitness community together in support of cancer research, extending the impact of that collective effort beyond the ring.

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Photo Credit: Nuanu Creative City