During his career as a professional Thai kickboxer, the 30-year-old Dunedin man has amassed 32 wins from 38 fights.
All of those wins, barring one, have come from stoppages or knockouts.
Even more impressive is the list of injuries he has had: a broken jaw, two broken noses, three knee reconstructions, nine broken knuckles, 67 facial stitches, numerous broken and separated ribs, chipped elbows and a broken hand.
Rae, whose ring name is the "Honey Badger", said injuries had never dampened his enthusiasm for the sport.
If anything, he said, they had helped him become more aware of how to prevent getting seriously hurt in a sport where injuries were a common hazard.
Rae will be the South Island's only representative when he fights in Elite Thai Kickboxing's King of the Ring, in Auckland on October 28.
The eight-man elimination series requires the winner to defeat three opponents in a single night with punches, knees, elbows and kicks.
Thai kickboxing differs from the Western style of kickboxing, in which only punches and kicks are allowed. Thai fighters are commonly referred to as Muay Thai fighters, meaning Thai way.
Event promoter Jason Suttie said he picked Rae because he knew he was a "tough fighter with plenty of skill" and he wanted a representative from the South Island.
He said he hoped to set up a world title shot for the winner.
Rae found out he was fighting a month ago and had must shed 12kg in order to make the 72kg weight limit.
He has never failed to make a weight in his career and is confident this time would be no different.
He is running in a sweatsuit for 12km to 24km a day as part of a training regime which requires him to train from three to four hours a day.
Rae's goal is to weigh 77kg five days before he fights. He said 5kg was a "standard cut" for any fighter a week before a fight and, if needed, he would immerse himself in salt water baths and wear thermals to bed at night.
He would not use saunas as they made him too tired. Instead, he would be drinking five to seven litres of water a day, up until the weigh-in the night before the fight.
He was unconcerned that he had not fought since 2008, when an injury forced him to take time out.
"I am not overly concerned about my body, but I will definitely need my lungs to take full demand three times over.
"Controlling my breathing is the most important thing."
Rae hopes a win in Auckland will help revitalise his career.
Girish Rae
Kick boxer
Age: 30.
Occupation: Professional Thai kickboxer (Muay Thai fighter)/martial arts trainer.
Professional career
Muay Thai: 38 fights, 32 wins, six losses. Bronze medal (representing Fiji in 2007) and fourth place (representing New Zealand in 2006) at world championships.
Boxing: Three fights, three wins.
Mixed martial arts: Three fights, two wins, one loss.
