Roel “Akiyama” Rosauro, 29, of Cebu, Philippines finally gets his long-awaited break into the international scene after years of strutting his wares in the local ranks. The Filipino mixed martial artist will make his ONE Championship debut at “ONE: Quest for Gold”.
Following in the footsteps of Cary Bullos, Vaughn Donayre, Eugene Toquero and Jimmy Yabo, Rosauro is the fifth Cebuano to showcase his skills in ONE Championship. Rosauro said, “I was shocked but I’m very happy because this is what I have been dreaming of, to reach this level.”
“I have waited for this opportunity for so long,” Rosauro continued. “This is a dream come true for me to compete on one of the sport’s biggest stages. I will fight not only for myself but also for the pride of my country.”
Currently, Rosauro holds a professional MMA record of 4 wins and 1 loss. He is a practitioner of the Filipino martial arts discipline Yaw-Yan, which was derived from the last two syllables of sayaw ng kamatayan meaning dance of death.
Yaw-Yan is a Filipino style of kickboxing, which was developed by the late grandmaster Napoleon “Nap” Fernandez to specifically suit the smaller Filipino body frame. It closely resembles Muay Thai but differs in the hip-torquing motion and the downward-cutting nature of its kicks with emphasis on delivering attacks from long range.
Rosauro has honed his skills under the tutelage of Benigno “Ekin” Caniga Jr., the headmaster of the Cebu chapter of Yaw-Yan Ardigma. In January 2018, Fernandez passed away at the age of 92.
On February 23, 2018, Rosauro will fight Chinese prospect Li Kai Wen in a three-round featherweight bout on the undercard of “ONE: Quest for Gold” at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar. Rosauro replaced Li’s original opponent Rodian Menchavez, of the Philippines, who was forced to withdraw due to an injury. Rosauro said,
“I wouldn’t be here at this point of my career if not for Yaw-Yan,” Rosauro said. “Grandmaster Nap paved the way for all of us. Now that I am part of ONE Championship, I will honor his great work and represent Yaw-Yan on the global stage with pride.”
According to Rosauro, Yaw-Yan’s ultimate goal is to preserve, promote and continuously improve and further develop Filipino martial arts. The Cebuano Yaw-Yan practitioner said, “As I make my debut in ONE Championship on February 23, I have the chance and honor to formally introduce Yaw-Yan to the world and showcase its strength and beauty.”
CONAN Daily 