Filipino featherweight Roel “Akiyama” Rosauro will look to dig down deep if he wants to take his first win in ONE Championship.
Rosauro gave a promise to his father about being successful in The Home Of Martial Arts long before he was signed by the organization.
His father passed away before Rosauro was ever given a chance to compete in ONE, and it’s now one thing he’ll be keeping on his mind as he looks for his breakthrough following two losses in the Circle.
“When our father left us back in November, 2017, I won after that. I put all of my emotions to it in my next fight, which was for a different promotion back then. After that I’ll admit, I wasn’t entirely focused because he was gone,” said Rosauro.
“Now I feel like I’m hungry again. I just want to get back in the game and fulfill the promise of taking home a ONE Championship medal for my father.”
A Filipino National Muay Thai Silver Medalist, Rosauro has been interested in the martial arts since he was a child.
After learning some basic Muay Thai techniques, he got the chance to train properly when he moved to Cebu City at the age of 20 and joined Yaw-Yan Ardigma Cebu.
It was just one of the ways for him to finally break free from his troubled childhood – and with the help of his father, he was able to overcome it.
Now it’s all about continuing to make his father proud.
“Back then, I’ll be honest, I was notorious for giving my parents headaches. Now I just want them to be proud of me through martial arts,” shared Rosauro.
“I realized that I have to be even more determined now. Now that my father is gone, I still need to fulfill my dreams for him. I have to be hungry and I have to show it in my next matches,” he added.
After losing to Li Kai Wen and Sunoto respectively, he now totally understands what it takes to take a win in ONE Championship.
“I want to get my confidence back in the game. I studied jiu-jitsu, I added a weight program for my strength and conditioning, I am ready.”
Now he just can’t wait to get back in the Circle and fulfill the promise that he gave to his father.
“I will win my next fights and I will continue where I started. I want my family to be proud of me, especially my father. I want to bring a ONE Championship medal home for him,” said Rosauro.
“I’ll certainly give my all to nail that first win.”
