Mark Streigl: The next big thing in martial arts

Mixed martial arts has come of age. And Mark Edward Martinez Streigl is the next big thing!

As MMA has become more popular, thousands of youngsters are taking to the sport.

But Mark seemingly has the world at his feet.

Streigl began in wrestling at age seven but only had his first amateur fight at 17. He looked up to his older brother, Frank, and copied him, thus getting involved in martial arts.
He liked MMA because he believed it was the purest form of sport, thinking about the  gladiators slugging it out! He also thinks that MMA provides a terrific platform to test oneself, since it’s physically and mentally demanding.

PHILIPPINE STAR: When did you decide to make the transition to MMA?

MARK STREIGL: I decided in high school when I started watching Pride Fighting Championships on television. The fighters’ skills and personalities on display, the whole spectacle -- I was hooked from then on.

What is the biggest challenge you face when entering the cage?

I think my biggest challenge is my diet and eating healthy all the time. My friends joke me that I’m the athlete with the diet problem. I don’t really have a problem, but in any sport, at the highest levels, nutrition and diet are key factors if you want to perform well. This means sticking to a structured diet plan that involves healthy food that, most of the time, doesn’t taste so good.

I love my cheesy dishes and Filipino food, but as you know, Filipino food isn’t that healthy. It’s delicious, no doubt, but is pretty oily and carb- heavy. I have to avoid a lot of delicious food and stick to the not so fun stuff like chicken breast and oatmeal.

What areas do you think you still need to improve on?

I believe MMA is a journey. There’s always room for improvement and betterment. It’s a continuous strive for perfection, even though perfection is unattainable.

What are your immediate goals?

My goal since I started MMA is to win a world title for the Philippines.

Why were you attracted to a sport that isn’t team-oriented?

Team sports, like basketball and soccer, didn’t come as naturally to me while growing up. I guess my hand-eye coordination wasn’t on point. MMA and combat sports came much more naturally.

Should more people choose martial arts/ MMA as their sport?

Yes, definitely! As I mentioned earlier, martial arts is a journey of growth and discovery. Most people only see what happens on fight night. What they don’t see is what happens behind closed doors which are the hours of training, diet, sacrifice, and the discipline involved. Martial arts has definitely changed my life and made me a better person.

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