‘That’s All I Played’ – How Carlo Bumina-ang’s Passion For Basketball Shaped His MMA Career
Long before Carlo “The Bull” Bumina-ang was knocking out opponents on ONE Championship’s global stage, he could be found on the sun-baked basketball courts of Baguio City, playing until his legs gave out.
The Team Lakay representative is back in action at ONE Fight Night 39: Rambolek vs. Dayakaev on Prime Video, where he faces undefeated Brazilian “Peruano” Marcos Aurelio in a bantamweight MMA showdown.
The event will be broadcast on Friday, January 23, live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium.
Yet beneath the hardened MMA fighter lies the heart of a baller — and it’s where his competitive fire was first ignited.
In the basketball-crazed country of the Philippines, young Bumina-ang was a product of his environment. The sport consumed his adolescent years. It didn’t matter if he was still wearing his school shoes or his everyday flip-flops. The Filipino athlete would find his way to the nearest court and shoot hoops for hours on end.
It was on these cement courts that Bumina-ang first discovered the thrill of competition. With no real money to wager, he and his friends turned pickup games into intense 5-on-5 battles.
Speaking to onefc.com, the 31-year-old recalled how basketball was his first love before he found his true calling in MMA:
“When I was in high school, that’s all I played with my classmates and friends. After class, I remember we’d head straight to any open court, and we’d play till we dropped.
“My fondest memories were when we made things interesting and gambled a bit. We’d play for ice tubig (ice-cold water wrapped in plastic). Those days were fun, it was a great experience. At one point, it was the only thing I was really passionate about.”
Like many young ballers of his generation, Bumina-ang was shaped by the icons he watched on TV. Before MMA heroes, it was the NBA superstars of the early 2000s who captured his imagination.
The Filipino standout was captivated by NBA Hall of Famer and cultural icon Allen Iverson, drawn to “The Answer’s” unapologetic swagger and fearless underdog spirit.
Bumina-ang also bled for the Cleveland Cavaliers, then led by a young LeBron James who was chasing his first NBA Championship.
It’s no coincidence he gravitated toward these players. Their values mirrored his own. He was, after all, an undersized warrior fueled by loyalty to his gym and the country he represents.
He continued:
“Back then, I wanted to imitate [Allen] Iverson. I loved how he played, his swagger, and just how he carried himself.
“I also loved LeBron during his early years with the Cleveland Cavaliers. I followed that team. I loved how he also returned and won the championship for the city.”
Standing at just 5-foot-3, Bumina-ang was often the smallest player on the court. Not much has changed in ONE’s stacked bantamweight division.
But what “The Bull” lacked in height, he made up for in heart. He thrived in the Philippines’ rugged style of basketball, where physical contact is welcomed and toughness is currency.
These days, the former hooper is a full-time MMA fighter and a first-time father to a baby girl. With training camps and diaper duties filling his days, basketball has become a distant memory — though not a forgotten one.
He recalled:
“I played the forward position. I wasn’t the tallest, but I was athletic. I loved banging bodies and just driving into the lane.
“I guess I miss the feeling of sinking a three-pointer, especially when someone’s defending you tightly, and you just jump and shoot over them. That’s just a great feeling.”
Basketball Taught Bumina-ang A Lesson He Still Carries In MMA
While Carlo Bumina-ang ultimately pivoted to combat sports, his years on the hardwood gave him an athletic edge that still serves him today.
On the surface, shooting hoops and throwing punches may seem worlds apart. But the two disciplines share more than meets the eye.
“The Bull” explained:
“Basketball training actually has some similarities with MMA training. There’s no fighting, obviously, but the footwork, balance, and explosiveness [are the same]. We did a lot of sprinting, which I still do a lot now as an MMA fighter. When I played, I loved receiving passes on a fast break, so running was quite easy for me.”
Basketball also instilled in Bumina-ang the values of camaraderie and sportsmanship. The sport introduced him to the elation of victory and the agony of defeat.
Eventually, the Filipino warrior traded his basketball jersey for four-ounce gloves, now competing in what is essentially a one-man game. Yet somehow, he found his tribe once again.
At Team Lakay, Bumina-ang learned that no fighter enters the fray without backup. His coaches and teammates are with him every step of the way, regardless of the result.
He shared:
“Sportsmanship is the biggest lesson I got from basketball. It’s a competitive sport, so you don’t always win. In MMA, it’s considered a solitary sport. You fight alone, but you don’t go into that fight alone.
“In Team Lakay, we train as a team, and we win and lose as a group, just like in basketball. When I lost, I also felt how devastated my coaches and teammates were. They’re an extension of me when I fight, so they feel it too. I guess teamwork is something I got from basketball that I still apply in MMA.”
