Tongan-Kiwi MMA fighter

Ofa He Mooni Folau, 29, pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting with intent to injure. He attacked Liufau (Fau) Vake, 25, who later died in hospital of head injuries, and his brother Ika after a night drinking in central Auckland in May this year.

"That's not good enough for being part of an attack that took a man's life," Vake's friend Dan Hooker said outside court.

"Six months, stay at home? That's Covid restrictions," Hooker said, who's also an MMA fighter. "100 percent the laws have to change."

The 25-year-old rising MMA fighter died in hospital after he was hit from behind on Symonds St on May 16.

RNZ reports four men appeared at the Auckland High Court on Wednesday in front of a packed public gallery of Vake's friends, family and teammates, including UFC star Dan Hooker.

One man, Ofa Folau, pleaded guilty to two assault charges, and a sentencing date has been set down for August.

However the three others, one of whom is charged with manslaughter, entered not guilty pleas through their lawyers.