Filipino star Carlo Bumina-ang credits basketball for teamwork and discipline in MMA

Carlo Bumina-ang has firmly cemented his reputation as one of the Philippines’ brightest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) talents, competing at the highest level in ONE Championship and representing the country on the international stage. Known for his aggressive striking, relentless work rate, and resilience inside the cage, the 31-year-old fighter has become one of the most exciting Filipino prospects in the sport today.

Bumina-ang is set to make his return to the ONE Championship cage on Friday, January 23, at ONE Fight Night 39: Rambolek vs. Dayakaev, where he will face undefeated Marcos Aurelio in a bantamweight bout. The matchup presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the Filipino star, who is eager to rebound and regain momentum in his professional career.

The fight comes after a disappointing setback for Bumina-ang at ONE Fight Night 37: Kryklia vs. Agdeve on November 8, when he suffered a second-round submission loss to Russia’s Elbek Alyshov. The defeat was a rare stumble in his otherwise promising career, dropping his professional record to 8-2. Now, he is determined to put that loss behind him and reassert himself among the sport’s elite.

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Before MMA became his calling, Bumina-ang, like many young Filipinos, grew up passionate about basketball. Hailing from Baguio City, he spent much of his youth playing the sport with classmates and friends in every open court he could find.

“When I was in high school, that’s all I played with my classmates and friends. After class, we would head straight to any open court and play until we dropped. Those days were fun; it was a great experience. At one point, it was the only thing I was really passionate about,” Bumina-ang recalled in a media interaction.

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Growing up in the early 2000s, he idolized NBA stars, particularly Hall of Famer Allen Iverson. Though not the tallest player on the court, Bumina-ang made up for it with his athleticism and fearless style of play.

“I wanted to imitate Iverson. I loved how he played, his swagger, and just how he carried himself. I played the forward position. I wasn’t the tallest, but I was athletic. I loved banging bodies and just driving into the lane,” he said.

While MMA is markedly different from basketball and thrives on individual performance, Bumina-ang credits the sport with teaching him fundamental traits that still resonate in his fight career.

“Basketball training actually has some similarities with MMA training. We did a lot of sprinting, which I still do a lot now. When I played, I loved receiving passes on a fast break, so running came naturally to me.

“Sportsmanship is the biggest lesson I got from basketball. In Team Lakay, we train as a team, and we win and lose as a group, just like in basketball. Teamwork is something I got from basketball that I still apply in MMA,” he explained.

As Bumina-ang prepares for his bantamweight clash with Aurelio, the stakes could not be higher. A win would reaffirm his position as one of the Philippines’ top MMA exports and keep him in contention in the highly competitive division. Conversely, a loss would force him to recalibrate and work even harder to maintain his standing among the sport’s elite.

With his combination of experience, aggressive striking, and steely determination forged through adversity, Carlo Bumina-ang is poised to make this bout a defining moment in his career. Filipino fight fans will be watching closely, hoping their star can turn the page and reclaim his winning momentum on the international stage.

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