HE grew up with his father absent, and now Rolando Dy is determined things will not be like that for his family.
Dy's mother tirelessly cared for him, while he also got some fatherly support from his uncle. His father, "The Bad Boy from Dadiangas" Rolando Navarrete, who was once world champ, was never around.
"I owe who I am today to my mother and uncle. I have a loving and caring family that molded and raised me," said Dy, who is now also a prizefighter.
Now he is a father, and he is determined to provide a better life for his wife Stephanie and daughter Joy Gabrielle.
"It’s true that my father wasn’t around during my childhood and my teenage years. It’s one of the reasons why I am doing my best to be there for my daughter because I will not allow my daughter to grow up without a father. Now that I have my own family, I will use what I learned from my mother and uncle to raise my child," he said.
Dy said having a child has changed him greatly for the better as he wants to be a role model for his family and more importantly, his daughter.
"My daughter is one of my inspirations, as well as my wife. I’m fighting for the betterment of my family. This kind of thought makes me stronger and tougher as a fighter and a person as a whole," said the 29-year-old fighter from Dasmarinas, Cavite, a lightweight conteder in Brave CF.
"As a family man competing at the highest level of my sport, it is far more challenging. It has changed my life in terms of my priorities. However, it is fulfilling. Now that I am a family man, I cannot fail. It’s difficult, I know, but I love it! It brings out the best in me."
It's an added plate in Dy's cupboard, but a responsibility he's just embracing wholeheartedly as he takes great pride in celebrating Father's Day as a dad for the first time in his life.
"Fatherhood is a new horizon in my life. I must admit that I’m not ready for it. But just like MMA, I was trained to face my fear, fight, and conquer," he said.
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