WHEN he once just dreamed of joining his kuyas in ONE Championship, Carlo “The Bull” Bumina-ang can now consider his dream a reality.
And not only will he stand alongside the ones he looked up to, he’ll actually be one of Team Lakay’s main fighters.
The Filipino debuts in U.S. primetime against Asa “The American Ninja” Ten Pow in a bantamweight bout at ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on August 3 inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
A confluence of events pushed Bumina-ang into the spotlight, as an exodus of some of the best fighters from Team Lakay earlier last year allowed him to step up. And living to his monicker, it was “The Bull” who grabbed the golden opportunity by the horns.
'The Bull's' quick charge
In just nine months, he scored five wins in ONE Friday Fights before earning a six-figure contract to ONE Championship as Team Lakay’s latest sensation.
“It’s been five years since I joined the team, and I’m really ecstatic to be in this position now. The things that I went through aren't a joke. It’s not easy. It will really test you,” he said.
“But this proved that no matter how difficult it can be, the times wherein I feel weak and unmotivated, the bitter times, it’s all worth it. I’m so happy that it bore fruit.”
READ: Add another Filipino to the ONE Championship main roster
While others have branded him as Team Lakay's saving grace, Bumina-ang feels the team never lost its aura to begin with.
Sure, hemorraghing some of the stable’s best fighters is tough, but if there’s anything that he and the other younger members like Jhanlo Mark Sangiao and Carlos Alvarez have learned, it’s that the squad remains as solid as ever.
“I’m proud that Team Lakay is still here, I’m proud to represent this team and I believe we never left because we always have top coaches like coach Mark [Sangiao] who’s really working overtime in making sure we come in prepared,” he said.
Even better, he’s just getting started. Now about to display his skills in U.S primetime through Amazon Prime Video, Bumina-ang plans to show that the next core of Team Lakay stars is just as fearsome - if not more - as the ones who came before them.
“For all the fans who haven’t seen me yet, you can expect pure excitement each time I step in the ring. I want to ‘wow’ these people with my performances,” he said.
“I want to show them that I belong in the big league,” he said. “Here comes ‘The Bull.’”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
