ONE Championship featherweight Roel “Akiyama” Rosauro always had one goal in life – to provide a better future for his family.
So he turned to martial arts in the hopes of turning that goal into reality.
“Martial arts became a tool for me in trying to give a good future for my family. Everytime I step in, I have to show a different kind of determination, knowing that the future that I envision for them is on the line,” Rosauro said.
“It’s easier said than done, I know, but with determination and hard work, it’s not really impossible to get it.”
Born in a big family with 10 siblings, life has not been easy for Rosauro growing up. His father works as a carpenter while her mother was left at home to attend to them.
To help with their daily expenses, Rosauro assists his father with his carpentry to earn a few bucks. Away from work, he studied Muay Thai with his uncle which opened doors for him in martial arts. By age 20, he moved to Cebu City and joined Yaw-Yan Ardigma.
“Those times were rough. We were a big family and my father was the only one with a regular job, but back then I was always interested in combat sports,” Rosauro shared.
“My uncle came over from Manila and that’s where it all started. I fell in love with Muay Thai and then I decided to train full time.”
Rosauro fell in love more with the sport and decided to finally bring his exploits inside the ring.
He debuted in a local promotion in 2012 and quickly showcased his striking ability with two quick wins via TKO.
“Muay Thai really opened a lot of opportunities for me. These opportunities gave me a chance to provide for my family, something that I wanted to do for a long time.”
His early success eventually led him to ONE Championship, and it was far from easy at the beginning.
“Akiyama” lost his first two bouts in The Home Of Martial Arts, but got a shot in the arm with an impressive win over Yohan “The Ice Man” Mulia Legowo at ONE: A NEW TOMORROW last January.
He knows that things would not get easier from here on, but when the going gets rough, Rosauro just looks back on the times where he prayed to be in this position.
As he bought himself more opportunities with that win, Rosauro promises to make the most out of it.
“There’s nothing easy in life, you have to really work for everything but if you enjoy what you’re doing, and you have a purpose in doing it, things would be so much easier,” Rosauro said.
“ONE Championship opened doors of opportunities for me and that’s why I’ll continue to work for my dreams, wherein I’d provide a steady future for my family and they don’t have to go through the same things I went through when I was young.”
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