MATAAS ang pagtingin ng kapwa fighter kay Filipino standout April Osenio.
Sa nakuhang college diploma, inaasahang nasa pedestal ng MMA community ang dating Philippine national Wushu champion at ONE Championship atomweight contender.
Sa kabila nang halos maghapong pagsasanay para mapatingkad ang career sa mixed martial arts, hindi napabayaan ni Osenio ang pag-aaral at maging ganap na propesyunal.
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Kasama ang tatlong kasangga sa Team Lakay, nakumpleto ni Osenio ang pag-aaral at nakuha ang degree sa Bachelor of Criminal Justice Education sa University of Cordilleras sa Baguio City nitong summer.
Iginiit ni Osenio na ang tagumpay sa pag-aaral ay patunay na may lugar sa mga tulad dniyang prizefighters ang makapagtapos ng pag-aaral na magagamit sa panahon ng pagreretiro sa MMA.
“Pursuing your passion in martial arts is not a hindrance in securing your future through education,” pahayag ni Osenio.
“It is also a way of breaking the stigma that fighters have in our society. It’s an achievement that I was able to set an example for others to follow.”
Inamin ni Osenio na hindi permanenteng hanap-buhay ang maging atleta at tanging edukasyon ang magagamit niya para maitaguyod ang pamilya.
“Education is very important because my career as a fighter will not last for long time,” pahayag ni Osenio, nagdebut sa ONE Championship noong 2015.
“By the time I reach 38 or 40 years old, I need to retire and have another job to support my family,” aniya.
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Target niyang tapusin ang kampanya sa taong kasalukuyans a pagsabak niya sa ONE Championship sa Disyembre 9 sa Impact Arena sa Bangkok, Thailand.
Makakaharap ang 23-anyos na pambato ng Baguio City sa strawweight division ang bagitong “The Panda” Xiong Jingnan ng China sa undercard ng ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD.
Huling lumaban si Osenio noong Disyembre 2016 kung saan nabigos siya via submission kay Jenny “Lady GoGo” Huang.
Sa kabila nito, iginiit niyang hindi siya kinalawang dahil sa patuloy na ensayo sa Team Lakay.
“It has been a while since fans last saw me in the cage. I would say I have not changed a lot, I have just been working on improving my skills,” pahayag ni Osenio.
“My style is still the same. I focus on my Wushu and really want to test my opponent’s striking abilities. I am excited to show everyone how much better I am this time around,” aniya.
Aniya, sa kanyang pagbabalik sa octagon, sisiguraduhin niyang kamay niya ang itataas ng referee.
“I have been really working on sharpening my skills and fixing a lot of my weaknesses. This next bout is so important because my opponent is one of China’s best martial artists, and a win will really speak volumes of where I am at as a professional. This is one of the toughest training camps I have ever had so far, and I am ready to showcase the results in Bangkok,” aniya.
