Cameroonian boxer Abdoulaye Assan, has won a refugee status in South Korea, ending a two-year legal battle to escape alleged persecution in his African hometown.

South Korea Ministry of Justice said recognized Assan as a refugee on July 18. Since then, he has been given full-fledged freedom to work and travel at home and abroad, the ministry said.

Assan became the champion in Korea’s super welterweight division, which was hosted by Boxing Management Korea on May 27. It only took six months to lift Assan to the top with the help of coach Thomas Lee of Art Boxing Gym.

He will have his first defense match on Aug. 5 and donate half his fight money to a middle school student suffering rickets he met through ChildFund Korea.

“I want to fight for the world title like my two favorite boxers Mayweather and Pacquiao,” Assan told The Korea Times last month.

He sought refugee status after fleeing from Cameroon’s national boxing team, which was here in October 2015 to participate in the International Military Sports Council (CISM) World Games in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang Province.

Assan claimed he had been physically abused and suffered other forms of persecution. But his petition was rejected and he once faced the risk of being deported.

He raised an objection to the decision and finally made his “Korean dream” come true.