Carlo Bumina-ang expecting victorious year-ender at ONE Friday Fights 44

Carlo “The Bull” Bumina-ang is the next man up for Team Lakay when he returns to the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium next week.

Bumina-ang targets his third straight win in The Home of Martial Arts when he takes on Ilyas Dursun in bantamweight MMA action at ONE Friday Fights 44 on Friday, Dec. 8 in Bangkok, Thailand.

“The Bull” is coming off a hard-earned split-decision win over Denis Andreev this past October, but he doesn’t mind stepping right back into the ONE ring, knowing that with each win he gets closer to his goal of making ONE’s main roster.

“I’m really happy. It’s an important thing to continue fighting and stay active, so I’m really blessed to be in this position,” he said.

“I think I’ve improved a lot since joining ONE Friday Fights. My last fight I really had to earn it. It was tough, but I know that my experience there really grew. I got more confident as well.”

Entering this fight, Bumina-ang is wary of the things that he needs to work on, especially as he got caught several times on the feet against the Russian.

This time he expects a different approach from his opponent who favors the ground game more, but that doesn’t mean he’s letting his previous mishaps slide.

“We worked on our footwork. We’re always cautious about it because I think in terms of damage and striking, that will be my advantage in this fight,” he said.

“When it comes to ground control, I know that he’s also good on the ground. So we need to continue what we’re doing during practices on the ground, and I hope that it all works out entering this next fight.

“No excuses from my last fight, but I know that I’m better in this fight.”

If there’s one thing he’s taking away from his previous fight, it’s not to rush the finish and instead let the fight flow naturally.

Against Andreev, he had the Russian hurt early but rushed his shots, burning himself out early and allowing his opponent to come back.

“What I learned from the past fights, if I actively look for that finish, I lose my focus. I want to finish it naturally, the best way possible, get the good KO or submission,” he said.