MANILA, Philippines — Mark Striegl is excited to represent Filipino mixed martial arts once he debuts for the UFC next week.
After being stymied because he contracted COVID-19, Striegl (18-2, 1 NC) is finally making his long-awaited UFC debut on Saturday, October 17 (Sunday, October 18 in Manila) against Said Nurmagomedov.
The 32-year-old fighter from Baguio City recently spoke about his upcoming bout.
"It's an absolute honor to represent the Philippines on the global stage here in the @UFC." - @MarkMugen Striegl discusses what being in the UFC means to him and what combat sports mean to Filipinos ??????#UFCFightIsland6 | #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/icdPLEu31F
— UFC News (@UFCNews) October 15, 2020
"It's a roller coaster... especially during these COVID times. Coming from Baguio City to Manila to Las Vegas, getting COVID when I thought that was the last thin that would happen... It's been an absolute adventure but all part of the journey and I'm just super excited about it," he said during a press conference.
"It's an absolute honor to represent the Philippines on the global stage here in the UFC. This is the Super Bowl of MMA," he added.
Striegl plans to bring out the best of his fighting abilities to get his Filipino fans on their fight.
But if he wants to make a mark, he would need to keep his debut bout jitters in check.
"A whole jumble of all sorts of emotions for sure," Striegl said on how he feels a week before his fight.
"But it's all about keeping it under control and keeping the breathing under control, going out there and taking care of business," he said.