Igorot fighter Bumina-ang wins April 24 ONE Friday fights, but reveals facing tougher battle in his mind

SPORTS

La Trinidad, Benguet - Cordilleran mixed martial artist Carlo "The Bull” Bumina-ang showed dominant performance at ONE Friday Fights on April 24, but opened up about the unseen battles he fought before he stepped into the ring. 

While the audience saw a confident athlete, Bumina-ang revealed it was a hard-won triumph. 

In a Facebook post, Buminaang shared that in the days leading up to his bout under the ONE Championship, he was already struggling physically and mentally, testing not only his body but also his faith. 

“It was never by my own strength. Days before the flight, I got sick. I was fighting a battle not just in my body but also in my mind, filled with doubt and uncertainty. But I held on to the promise that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, and it manifested,” Buminaang wrote. 

Despite the struggle, Buminaang showed no signs of weakness when he entered the ring at the historic Lumpinee Stadium. He faced Batochir Batsaikhan of Mongolia under the bantamweight division.

During the battle, the 31-year-old needed little time to claim the victory. After a brief exchange to measure distance, he pressed forward with calculated aggression and unleashed powerful strikes that dropped his opponent onto the canvas. 

At exactly 2 minutes and 28 seconds of the opening round, the referee decided to stop the contest, seeing the Mongolian unable to fight back.

With the victory, Buminaang improved his professional record to ten wins with two losses. Seven of his wins were achieved by way of knockout.

 Batsaikhan, meanwhile, dropped to a 6-3 MMA record.

 The Igorot fighter, in his post, extended his gratitude to the organization and the people behind his success, whose prayers he believes carried him during the fight. 

“Thank you, ONE Championship, again for the opportunity. To my teammates and coaches, led by Coach Mark Sangiao, thank you for the guidance and belief. And to everyone who supported and prayed for me, salamat,” he further stated.