Professional boxing will come to the Santa Monica Pier on Saturday as the Butterfly Brawl combines live fights with charitable fundraising in a unique oceanfront setting.
The event, scheduled for Aug. 16 from 2-10 p.m., will feature 15 professional boxing matches headlined by undefeated knockout artist DeAngelo Evans (13-0, 12 KOs) facing Justin Cardona. Mexican Olympian Brianda Tamara Cruz and lightning-fast combination puncher Chantel Navarro are also scheduled to compete.
Mix Master Mike of the Beastie Boys will provide entertainment with a DJ set during the event at 200 Santa Monica Pier.
All net proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society and the Santa Monica Police Activities League. The event evolved from the original Butterfly Ball, which began as a deeply personal tribute.
"Butterfly Brawl actually started at the Butterfly Ball in 2017 to honor the life of Yassy Hosseini, who lost her seven-year battle to cancer," said Mark Habibi, one of the event's organizers. "On what would have been her 40th birthday, me and her brother and her best friend and a few of her colleagues from work got together, and we had a party for her at the Peppermint Club."
The inaugural event featured Nikki Costa, Too Short and The Black Eyed Peas. "It was supposed to be just a one and done. But the event was so successful, we raised so much money for the City of Hope," Habibi said.
The success led to annual events featuring Snoop Dogg in 2018 and Anderson Paak in 2019 before the pandemic forced a hiatus. The event returned in 2024 with a new format.
"We brought it back last year and we introduced boxing, and we changed from the Butterfly Ball to the Butterfly Brawl, and got Jermaine Dupri as our headliner," Habibi said.
Doors open at 2 p.m. with the first fight at 3 p.m.
Tickets start at $100 and are available at www.fightbook.com. VIP experiences are also offered for the event.
"We really depend on the community to come together and support us," Habibi said. "From the bottom of my heart, help us make this event successful. Show up. If you're not able to show up, please consider making a donation."