ONE Championship contract winner Carlo Bumina-ang breathes new life Into Team Lakay

Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao knows times have changed in the world of Philippine MMA, with gyms sprouting left and right, all boasting world-class fighters who could wave the country’s flag high in the all-encompassing sport. 

 

But Sangiao can prove that his once mighty squad still belongs among the elite teams in the Philippines. In fact, they proved it in ONE Friday Fights with Carlo Bumina-ang, who won all five of his fights impressively. 

 

After finishing Chayan Oorzhak at ONE Friday Fights 65, Bumina-ang was awarded a US$100,000 contract to ONE Championship, joining teammates Jhanlo Mark Sangiao and Geje Eustqauio. 

 

For Sangiao, who’s heard quite a few unsavory things about Team Lakay, this is proof that the gym’s foundation remains steady, even after its overhaul. 

 

“As a coach, of course there are times that I felt down hearing those comments, but we started from the bottom. This gym started with nothing,” Sangiao said. 

 

“In a sense, having started from scratch gives me the drive to push back because we already have that blueprint, the blueprint on what we need to do to produce world champions.”

 

Sangiao noted how Bumin-ang’s contract win also acted as a victory for the team, a squad that has been criticized since the departure of its established stars over the last year or so. 

 

“The gym is certainly feeling it,” Sangiao said. 

 

“Right now we’re all celebrating because we’ve been hearing a lot of things that Team Lakay is now on the way down, and this win by Carlo only proved that we have new athletes, and they’re here to stay.” 

 

The soft-spoken mentor is not one to flex, but he’s using this situation to send a message – Team Lakay is here to stay.  

 

“We always base it on the results, not just words,” Sangiao said. “We’ve always believed in pure hard work and grassroots development. Carlos is the byproduct of the process, the process all our athletes had to go through.”