Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao is mighty proud of the heights that Carlo “The Bull” Bumina-ang has reached so far in the world of MMA.

But he knows that his student can go even further.

After selling bananas in the market, Bumina-ang has found a deeper purpose in MMA, as he now stands as one of the newest flag bearers of Team Lakay on the ONE Championship roster.

Bumina-ang got his ticket to ONE in the form of a US$100,000 contract following his demolition of Chayan Oorzhak at ONE Friday Fights 65 nearly two weeks ago inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

For the long-time mentor in Sangiao, these are the moments he lives for.

“As a coach, this is truly an amazing feeling,” he said.

“He started off from nothing and now we’re seeing the fruits of his labor. Now he’s in the main roster with a couple of bonuses in his pocket. I pray for his continuous success on the big stage.”

Sangiao also has no doubt that Bumina-ang is right at home in the ONE Championship bantamweight division.

His well-roundedness and his ability to finish fights whether on the feet or on the ground makes him a must-watch fighter, and Sangiao is excited to see how he’ll fare against the big boys of the division.

With four finishes in five wins, Sangiao is confident that Bumina-ang will continue to impress.

“Carlo has really improved through these five fights. He really is ready. He’s prime for the big time. We all saw in that stretch, he finished all but one of those fights. Even when he was an amateur, that’s something that I really saw in him, that killer instinct,” he said.

“I’d say he has one of the heaviest hands I’ve ever handled. Of course, our champions in the past have their own thing, but I believe these next generation of athletes like Carlo have the same instinct. They want to finish the fight in whatever way possible,” he added.

“That’s exactly what ONE Championship wants, work to finish. For as long as we have that opportunity, we don’t want to leave our fate in the hands of the judges.”

But Sangiao was also quick to remind his student that the work has only begun. After all, getting to ONE is one thing; staying there is a different story altogether.

As long as he keeps his fire, though, Sangiao isn’t worried about Bumina-ang’s headspace.

“What I always remind him is that he shouldn’t stop working. Just because he’s already reached the main roster, doesn’t mean he could abandon all the hard work,” he said.

“As coaches, we’re here to remind him that wherever he ends up, we’re always here to help him out. I hope he always remembers where he came from because humility is one of the keys to why he’s here.”