Originally slated to face Asa Ten Pow, Team Lakay revelation Carlo Bumina-ang now takes on no. 5-ranked bantamweight MMA contender Enkh Orgil Baatarkhuu.
Carlo “The Bull” Bumina-ang will now meet a different opponent when he makes his ONE Championship main roster debut in less than a month.
Originally slated to face Asa Ten Pow, the Team Lakay revelation now takes on no. 5-ranked bantamweight MMA contender Enkh Orgil Baatarkhuu at ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on August 3 inside Lumpinee Stadium.
Though he was originally training for a striker in Ten Pow, Bumina-ang won’t back down against the Mongolian star. Aside from having a shot at a ranked fighter in his main roster debut, he also gets the chance to get one back for his teammates.
Baatarkhuu has already taken out three Filipinos so far in his ONE career, two of whom are Bumina-ang’s Team Lakay teammates. He even got the nickname “The Filipino Hunter” among fans.
He debuted in a big way, dominating Team Lakay stalwart and ONE Warrior Series Philippines winner Adonis Sevilleno before finishing Rockie Bactol in his next conquest.
Then came Baatarkhuu’s biggest win. He stained the prodigious Jhanlo Sangiao’s erstwhile immaculate record, finishing the second-generation MMA star in the second round after surviving a first-round onslaught from the 21-year-old.
Now Bumina-ang could have the honors of getting one back for the Philippines, and based on how he performed on the ONE Friday Fights platform, he’s in the perfect position to do so.
“The Bull” has shown a different kind of aggression on the feet, putting those dynamite hands to use in his wins. He’s also shown his ability to finish fights on the ground, evident in his two submission victories.
While he’s only been taken into deep water once, Bumina-ang proved that he has the will to push on as he came away with a split-decision win over Denis Andreev.
Against Baatarkhuu, he’ll have to take it to the next level if he wants to continue his inspiring ascent to the mountain top of the bantamweight division.
If his progress through ONE Friday Fights was a barometer, Filipino fans need not to worry.