April Osenio ready to start new chapter of her ONE Championship career
April Osenio is looking to bounce back and make a statement in Manila.
The 22-year-old wushu athlete is in the midst of a slump, having lost to Jenny Huang by submission and to new ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan by TKO over the past 13 months.
Osenio believes she’s come out the other side, and is ready to embark on a winning run towards title contention.
“Expect to see a more composed April Osenio,” she declared.
“I will not be rushing in so recklessly. It is all part of the maturity process
“I am so fortunate to be a member of Team Lakay. My coaches and seniors, especially Coach Mark (Sangiao), have really helped me a lot in my martial arts career. Now that I have finished my studies, I can dedicate more time to training, and really focus on getting better.”
Osenio returns to action on Friday, 26 January at ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES against Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres in an atomweight clash between two exciting young warriors.
“I am a young martial artist, and still have a long way to go before I reach the top,” said Osenio.
“There are so many things to improve on, but I am working very hard on polishing my striking game, improving my footwork and tightening up my wushu.
“We just have to trust the process and have faith that soon my hard work will pay off.”
Osenio’s last bout against Xiong was a tough lesson. The Chinese athlete dominated the stand-up exchanges, as she stopped the Filipina inside the first round.
“I made the mistake of trying to trade with her when I got caught along the fence,” Osenio admits.
“At the time, I just fired back because it was instinctive. I should have competed more intelligently, but we win or we learn. That is the bottom line, and I learned a big lesson that day.”
Now wiser from her loss, Osenio is ready to show her progression against Torres, a dogged competitor who has notable wins over Rika Ishige and Nita Dea inside the ONE Championship cage. It’s a matchup Osenio is clearly excited about.
“Jomary Torres is a tremendous competitor, and I have lots of respect for her,” she says.
“To be able to do the things that she did, beating both Rika Ishige and Nita Dea, is no easy task. I think Jomary is the real deal. She is tough, talented, and strong-willed. It will no doubt be a great test for me to face her.”
The bout pits two of the most exciting young atomweights against one another, with one set to move one step closer to potential contention for the title currently held by ONE superstar “Unstoppable” Angela Lee.
Osenio isn’t thinking about world titles just yet. She’s focused on the challenge ahead, and she plans on making sure she does herself justice on 26 January.
“My ONE Championship career is a blessing to me,” she said.
“To be able to compete on the biggest stage of competition in Asia is a privilege, and I will do everything I can so that this opportunity does not go to waste. I will put everything I have into my career and see how far I can go.”
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