April Osenio knows the pressure is on as she returns to action at ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD.

The Team Lakay standout takes on Chinese contender “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan (12-1) in Bangkok, looking to score an impressive victory and position herself as a potential contender for the vacant ONE Strawweight WOrld Championship.

The Filipina star has been away from the ONE Championship cage since her loss to Jenny “Lady GoGo” Huang, and says fans should expect an improved version when she steps back into active competition on 9 December.

“It has been a while since fans last saw me in the cage,” she said.

“I would say I have not changed a lot, I have just been working on improving my skills.

“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.”

The 23-year-old looked to be on course for victory against Huang in her last outing back in December 2016, but succumbed to a second-round gogoplata. The rarely-seen submission led to Huang being given the nickname of “Lady GoGo”, and she even went on to challenge Angela Lee for the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Title.

The loss, and the subsequent path of her opponent, stung Osenio, who admitted that it took her some time to get over the defeat.

“That one definitely hurt. It took me a while to get over that loss, and I had to pick up the pieces after some time,” she said.

“But with the help of my team and my coach, I went back to training, and now I am more focused than ever.”

That focus will be essential against 29-year-old Xiong, a top-rated Chinese prospect with a record of 12-1 and a background in professional boxing. Her striking skills are also backed up with a dangerous submission game, having captured the China Open BJJ crown.

Nonetheless, Osenio says she’s ready to face the significant challenge ahead of her.

“I cannot say that I have seen much footage of her (Xiong’s) past bouts, but I heard from reports that she is very strong and skillful,” Osenio said.

“This makes my preparation for this next match crucial, because I want to show the world that I can hang with the best.”

She certainly has a strong group of teammates to lean on in that regard. Osenio has sharpened her skills at the renowned Team Lakay gym alongside the a host of stars. But she said she’d been particularly helped by ONE Championship contenders Gina Iniong, Joshua Pacio, Danny Kingad, and Geje Eustaquio.

“It is so important that we help each other improve, because we can a lot from our experiences, especially championship bout experience.”

Despite their undoubted credentials, Team Lakay has struggled somewhat inside the ONE Championship cage of late, with some of their high-profile stars suffering notable losses. Osenio says the time has come for her to step up and get the team back to winning ways.

“There is a lot of pressure on me to win, to show that Team Lakay is still one of the top teams in Asia despite our recent setbacks,” she stated.

“Although we have had some heartbreaking losses in our past few bouts, our team remains dedicated to representing the Philippines in the best way possible.”

As well as the pressure of winning for her team, Osenio knows that her own career trajectory may well hinge on the outcome of her bout on 9 December.

“It has been a year since my last match, and I have been really working on sharpening my skills and fixing a lot of my weaknesses,” she explained.

“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.”

Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu “No Face” Boku says he’s ready for a shot at the ONE Featherweight World Title, but knows he has to turn back the challenge of one more young contender to move closer to it.

Boku takes on Singapore’s Christian “The Warrior” Lee in a pivotal bout for both men at ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD. The blockbuster happens in Bangkok on 9 December, and the 40-year-old says he’ll be perfectly placed to call for a shot at the belt if he’s successful.

“I think if I win I might be in a pretty good place to get a title shot.”

He faces a tough test in the form of 19-year-old Lee, who has looked like a superstar in the making, racking up seven wins, all by stoppage, since his debut back in December 2015.

However, for all of Lee’s fireworks inside the cage, he can’t call upon the experience that Boku has picked up during his 39-bout career. That, Boku believes, will prove decisive when the pair meet inside the ONE Championship cage.

Boku also has the opportunity to tie Lee’s Evolve MMA teammate Amir Khan for the most knockouts in ONE Championship history. “No Face” already has six KO finishes to his name so far in his ONE Championship career. One more will see him match Khan’s tally of seven.

“I am older now, and it is interesting to test myself against the younger guys like Christian,” said Boku.

“He has got a lot of spirit, and he is pretty aggressive. But he is not as experienced as I am, so I feel like I will have the advantage there.

“The thing about the cage is there is a lot to it, and a lot to learn. You cannot get by on spirit alone. I think my experience helps a bit, because he still has a way to go to get to where I am.”

Boku’s career has seen him capture a lightweight championship in the Japanese Shooto promotion, as well as the ONE Lightweight World Title. After he lost his belt, he made the decision to drop to featherweight, in a bid to win a world title in a second weight class.

Boku’s last appearance saw him claim a thrilling come-from-behind TKO win over the Philippines’ Eric “The Natural” Kelly at ONE: KINGS & CONQUERORS in August. Kelly twice dropped the Japanese veteran, only for “No Face” to call upon his experience and spirit to turn the bout on its head, and claim a remarkable stoppage victory.

“To be honest, I was a little surprised,” he admitted.

“He came out hard and got me good once. It was not like a flash knockout or anything, but it knocked me down.

“I always train hard in the gym to be able to overcome situations like that. It took some time, but I was able to get him in the end. My stamina is never an issue, so it was just a matter of time.

“Every match is important, and so is every victory. I have been in some tough bouts before, and I would say that one was pretty standard.”

He’ll be equally well-prepared this time around, as he gets set to face Lee on 9 December, score another stoppage win, and push his claims for a shot at the ONE Featherweight World Title currently held by Martin “The SituAsian” Nguyen.

Above all, Boku plans on entertaining the crowd in Bangkok, as he brings his own brand of martial arts charisma to the ONE Championship cage once again.

“There is something special about martial arts competition that you do not get with movies, music, other sports,” he said.

“They are all great in their own right, of course. But martial arts competition just has a feel like no other.

“I think of the cage as the ultimate entertainment. So, I do it for the fans’ sake. Everyone wants to see finishes, so I want to finish my opponent whenever I can. In this matchup, I will seek the KO as I always do.”

KARANGASEM, INDONESIA – A volcano may be rumbling off in the distance, but for a group of Balinese men and their fighting roosters it’s the roar of the crowd that says the show must go on.

Far off the Indonesian resort island’s tourist trail, heavily-tattooed men gather at a clandestine site where birds battle each other – usually to the death – in a gory spectacle known as tajen that meshes bloodsport with ancient Balinese Hindu traditions.

About 100 male spectators gather on bamboo benches around a dirt ring as two roosters pulled from wicker baskets lunge at each other even before the match starts.

The two owners exchange birds to check weight and temperament, a show of sportsmanship to make sure they’re evenly matched.

“If the owners of both fighters reach a deal and say ‘okay, let’s fight’, then the roosters fight,” said I Made Gunawan, who’s rooster was fighting that day.

A small dagger about 10 centimetres (four inches) long is tied to each rooster’s left ankle. The heady smell of incense wafts over the ring as a roar erupts from the crowd. Bets are placed, usually between 20,000 and 100,000 rupiah each (S$1.90-$10), with most events lasting 15 fights.

‘GOOD FIGHTERS’

The roosters are set loose and feathers fly in an explosion of jumping and pecking that sets the already excited crowd into a bloodthirsty frenzy.

The match goes the distance – three rounds over eight minutes – until the referee calls it a draw. Both roosters, weak and wounded, are unable to keep fighting.

The ankle blades usually make it a fight to the death in a matter of minutes, punctuated by trails of blood seeping into the dirt.

The winner’s owner not only gets bragging rights and some of the betting proceeds – usually 10 per cent of the purse which can reach US$2,000 (S$2,703) – but they also get the carcass of their opponent’s rooster, for eating.

“My fighter lost today – it won the last time,” said Sudira as he helplessly watched his dying rooster be slaughtered to make dinner.

It’s a short career for surviving roosters, who are retired after just a few matches.

“They’re then used to breed with hens,” said Kadek Rudi, whose best fighter was recovering from severe belly wounds.

“The offspring will also be good fighters like their father.”

The fight took place not far from Mt. Agung, which recently burst to life again, sparking mass evacuations and leaving tourists stranded after the main airport was temporarily shuttered.

Despite the dangers, leaving his roosters alone in Pring Sari, a tiny community less than eight kilometres from the belching crater, was not an option for Wayan Kompyang.

“I have to keep taking care of them to make sure they are healthy and ready to fight after this situation calms down,” he said.

‘SPILLING OF BLOOD’

Gambling is illegal in Indonesia, where it could land these man in jail for as much as a decade.

In conservative Aceh province gamblers can face a public whipping under Islamic law.

Cockfighting – the sole source of income for some Balinese men – cuts a sharp contrast with tranquil images of the island as a palm-fringed paradise. But it dovetails with centuries-old traditions of Balinese Hinduism in the mostly-Muslim archipelago.

“Tajen (cockfighting) is closely related to a ritual known as ‘tabuh rah’ held at temples,” said Ni Made Ras Amanda Gelgel, a cultural studies lecturer at Bali’s Udayana University.

“The spilling of blood to the earth is needed to expel ‘buta’ or demons, because their blood is believed to appease demons so they don’t disturb people and so the ceremony can be held successfully and safely,” she said.

“But it eventually shifted to become entertainment.”

Training roosters isn’t for everyone, however, even those who have a stomach for violence.

“Taking care of the roosters isn’t easy – they have special food and you need to know how to treat the animals,” Gelgel said.

“It’s not as simple as having a good fighter that wins a lot so you can get rich. There is lot more involved.”