Team Lakay patriarch Mark Sangiao has been developing World Champions for years at the well-regarded Filipino stable, and he believes Carlo Bumina-ang has what it takes to be one.

“The Bull” is set to make his U.S. primetime debut this weekend when he faces #5-ranked contender Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu in a bantamweight MMA matchup at ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Friday, August 2, inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Carlo Bumina-ang’s remarkable journey under Mark Sangiao’s mentorship

Mark Sangiao knows a thing or two about mentoring superstars, having coached former ONE titleholders Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, Honorio “The Rock” Banario, Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, and Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon as well as current ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.

And when Bumina-ang walked through his gym doors in 2017, looking to train formally, he recognized potential. “I saw a very patient kid, someone who had a different kind of perseverance in him. When he was new to the team, he was really trying hard to keep in step with the team. I heard no complaints from him. He just wanted to compete,” Sangiao said.

He further added, “From the first time I saw him compete in TLC, the local competition here, I knew that not only does he have the right characteristics, he also has the physical tools to succeed in this sport.”

So far, Bumina-ang has rewarded his coach’s belief. He has won international medals in martial arts competitions while representing the Philippines and amassed a perfect 5-0 MMA record in ONE Championship.

Bumina-ang seeks redemption and rankings ascent against Baatarkhuu

The 30-year-old dominated proceedings over and over in the ONE Friday Fights series, finishing four bouts with two knockouts and two submissions, and his latest win over Mongolia’s Chayan Oorzhak at ONE Friday Fights 65 last May earned him a six-figure contract to compete on the promotion’s main roster.

This weekend, Bumina-ang will have a chance to showcase his skills to a global audience and exact revenge for Team Lakay against Baatarkhuu, who snapped Sangiao’s son, Jhanlo Sangiao’s, three-fight win streak at ONE Fight Night 13 last August.

The Mongolian menace is coming off a tough second-round loss to #4-ranked bantamweight MMA contender Artem Belakh at ONE Fight Nigh 18 this past January. But all three of his wins in ONE have come at the expense of Filipino fighters.

Fans should expect Bumina-ang to come out full of fire to finish Baatarkhuu and prove his coach right. If he can, the rising star may just snatch his foe’s place in the divisional rankings and work his way into the World Title conversation.