MANILA, Philippines – Filipino mixed martial arts fighter Mark Striegl arrived in Las Vegas this past Tuesday feeling excited and good.
Striegl will be in the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night: Johnny Walker versus Jamahal Hill on Sunday, February 20, at the UFC Apex in Nevada. The fight will be shown on the Premier Sports Channel on Skycable and the TapGo streaming application. Striegl’s featherweight match against American Chas Skelly is expected to take place around 6 a.m.
“There’s a saying that you’re only as good as your last fight and there’s pressure in every fight,” reflected Striegl a few hours after his arrival in Las Vegas. “Chas is an unpredictable wild man. I have to be ready for the unpredictable elements. I just have to be ready for both.”
“There are nerves in every fight. I feel better for this fight because I have a better training camp and linked up with coach George Castro. My body feels great. I feel better for this fight for sure,” added Striegl, who will be fighting his second match in the UFC.
Incredibly, both Skelly and Striegl have identical records of 18 wins, three losses, no draws and one no contest. The difference is Skelly has announced that this is, in all likelihood, his final match.
Striegl admitted that adds an edge to the fight because Skelly will want to go out with a win.
“For sure that makes the fight more dangerous,” said Striegl. “We just have to handle it well.”
“As for me, I feel 100% good that I am getting a win. If you don’t feel 100% then what the hell are you doing? You have to be committed to the task,” said the optimistic fighter who is raring to get his first UFC win.
“The week before the fight is making weight, resting, recovering. The grind is the past. Now it is all about letting the body heal up a bit.”