Who can be the next Pinoy superstar at ONE Championship?
Opportunities come to those who chase it and Carlo “The Bull” Bumina-ang is a living testament to that.
Chasing his lifelong goal of making it big, the Team Lakay stalwart put blood, sweat, and tears into his craft as he hoped to be the next Pinoy sensation in ONE Championship.
And after his sensational performance in the ONE Friday Fights circuit where he impressed with five straight victories, Bumina-ang was rewarded with a lucrative US$100,000 contract to be part of the main roster in The Home of Martial Arts.
Now, “The Bull” is preparing for his promotional debut versus Asa “The American Ninja” Ten Pow at ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Aug. 3 inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
But as celebrated as Bumina-ang’s achievements were, it also provided an optimal pathway for Pinoy fighters as they hope to join the other Filipino fighters in the ONE Championship roster.
Carlos “Limitless” Alvarez
One need not to look far as Team Lakay has another warrior who can make it in primetime.
Alvarez is as exciting as they come and has always been brazen in the ring, as evidenced by his 100-percent finishing rate in ONE Championship.
Being another branch of this new Team Lakay stem, “Limitless” displays a perfect blend of the famed Baguio-based stable’s signature striking while also showcasing their renewed focus in grappling.
Since arriving in ONE, Alvarez wasted little time making himself known, winning in various ways may it be knockout or submission. His most impressive, however, was his 57-second victory over “Majin” Title Chai at ONE Friday Fights 36 where he locked in an anaconda choke to secure the tap.
Though he stumbled at ONE Friday Fights 43 with a second round technical knockout loss to Nachyn “Samurai” Sat last December, there’s no question that he’s hungry to redeem himself once he steps back into action and force himself in the conversation among the next featherweights to watch.
Fritz “Kid Tornado” Biagtan
Biagtan may be busy helping his fiance Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga in her quest to become the first ever Filipina world champion in ONE Championship, but that doesn’t mean that he’s slacking off.
Actually, working as Zamboanga’s strength and conditioning coach has also pushed the boundaries of the flyweight stud while biding his time for his next fight.
And you bet, “Kid Tornado” has lived up to his moniker, delivering a show whenever he’s the one standing in the limelight.
Deepak Bhardwaj found that out the hard way as the T-Rex MMA bet connected with a brutal right knee strike straight into the Indian’s liver for the scintillating first round technical knockout victory which came with a THB 350,000 bonus at ONE Friday Fights 38.
Despite losing via unanimous decision to Babar “The Flogger” Ali at ONE Friday Fights 44 last December, Biagtan has never lost his luster as he’s slowly establishing himself as one of the most must-see fighters in the ONE Lumpinee stage.
Moises “The Lion King” Lois Ilogon
There’s a reason why Ilogon made it to the Philippine national team and won a Southeast Asian Games bronze medal before: he’s just that good.
In his only fight in The Home of Martial Arts so far, he has shown no letups as he took down Cho “Tyrant” Joon Gun with a third round technical knockout win at ONE Friday Fights 39.
Brandishing his impeccable striking skills that earned him a medal in Kun Khmer years back, the Dubai-based prospect fighting out of The Street/Ox Fitness Lab hit a debilitating left knee to the ribs of his Korean foe before finishing him off with a ground and pound.
It was a perfect display of Ilogon’s grit as he stayed true to his strengths while evading danger even as Cho shot for takedowns.
Months removed from that solid showing, Pinoy fans are still left wanting more of “The Lion King.”