Carlo Bumina-ang refuses to let his setbacks become his story.
The Filipino bantamweight looks to return to winning ways when he faces undefeated Brazilian Marcos Aurelio in a bantamweight MMA clash at ONE Fight Night 39: Rambolek vs. Dayakaev on Prime Video.
On Friday, January 23, the 31-year-old begins his comeback trail at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, streaming live in U.S. primetime.
Bumina-ang was making serious waves in the bantamweight MMA division in 2025, unleashing back-to-back TKO finishes over Song Min Jong and Mauro Mastromarini. But his momentum hit a wall when he faced undefeated Elbek Alyshov at ONE Fight Night 37 in November.
The Team Lakay standout initially found success in the opening round with dirty boxing. However, he had zero answers once the fight hit the canvas, ultimately tapping to a guillotine choke in the second frame.
Speaking to onefc.com, Bumina-ang reflected on where the fight slipped away
“In the first round, the momentum was mine. But he snuck in some slick body shots on me. Those knees to the body took their toll, and I felt it weighing down on me as the fight progressed. Once I sat on the stool after the first round, my knees felt stiff. I tried to tough it out in the second round but couldn’t,” he said.
That humbling setback pushed Bumina-ang’s record to 8-2, derailing what could have been a perfect year.
While disappointed, the Baguio native now has a chance to redeem himself against another unbeaten threat. Aurelio arrives as a dangerous Brazilian finisher looking to make an emphatic first impression.
The 21-year-old brings a perfect 8-0 record to his promotional debut, showcasing well-rounded skills with victories via both knockout and submission. Bumina-ang understands the challenge ahead but believes the stylistic matchup favors him.
“His ground game is good, but he’s more of a Muay Thai specialist. He’s a good counterstriker and pressure fighter as well. It plays to my style, actually, because I prefer aggressive opponents. He’s a striker, but I won’t underestimate him on the ground. I need to be wary because I believe he’ll try to test my grappling. My two losses were by submission, so he’ll probably think he can take me there. But I’ll prove him wrong if he tries,” Bumina-ang explained.
Now facing a critical crossroads, Bumina-ang admits feeling the weight of his recent shortcomings and aims to prove he belongs in the upper echelon of the bantamweight landscape, unwilling to let anyone use him as a stepping stone.
“I feel like my back is against the wall since I now have two losses in ONE. My mentality right now is simply kill or get killed. He’ll probably be fired up because he’s making his debut, and he wants to keep his undefeated record. But I respect him. He’s a well-rounded opponent, and I’m excited to face him,” he closed. NLMonitor