Body Talk with Mark Striegl
Proud of his Pinoy roots, Mark confesses to making that extra effort to wave the Filipino flag whenever he can. ‘Definitely! Every chance I get!’ he exclaims.
Despite his German-sounding surname and prominent Oriental features, top-ranking Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Mark “Mugen” Striegl is very much Filipino, and proud of it.
Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan to an American father (from New York City) and a Filipina mom (from Calapan, Oriental Mindoro), Mark credits his elder brother Frank for sparking his interest in combat sports.
He first dabbled in wrestling while in high school, and under his brother’s tutelage learned other fighting styles such as aikido, taekwondo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
With his impressive fight record of 77-1 during those formative years, Mark took a keen interest in fight sports, largely influenced by the Pride Fighting Championship and K-1 prevalent during the era.
Fresh out of high school, he joined the Wajutsu Keisyukai Gods dojo. It was there where he honed his fighting chops and cut his teeth in some of the city’s amateur competitions.
When his family moved to San Diego, California during his college years, Mark trained at Vic- tory MMA, and shuttled regularly between San Diego and Tokyo, keeping his loyalty to his Wajutsu “home.”
Mark turned pro in San Diego in 2009, and has since chalked up 14 wins and two losses — the most recent one against Reese McLaren at the One Championship Spirit of Champions fight in December last year.
Asked to describe his fighting style, Mark explains, “I’m a very aggressive fighter. In all my 14 wins, I have 12 wins by submission.”
“Most of my opponents, I’ve climbed on their backs, choked them out, or got some kind of submission through a lock or maneuver. Whether I’m swinging or going for takedown, I’m very aggressive, in your face, explosive. I focus a lot on footwork and explosiveness. I’m a fast-twitch fighter,” he adds.
Proud of his Pinoy roots, Mark confesses to making that extra effort to wave the Filipino flag whenever he can.
“Definitely! Every chance I get!” he exclaims.
So, what does the future hold for the enigmatic MMA fighter?
Take it from his monicker “Mugen” which means “limitless” in Japanese.
Mark is managed by ALV Talent Circuit.
Asked about his most unforgettable moment in all his years as a professional MMA fighter, Mark says, “I had this one fight where I was knocked down in the first round and the lights went out. I don’t mean the venue electricity, I mean I blacked out from the punches and I don’t remember a thing. A minute or two passed by, all of which I can’t remember, and when I came to and was conscious again, I was on my opponent’s back and squeezing for the choke. I won that fight via rearnaked choke at the end of the first round. It was auto-pilot mode for the win. Hahahaha!!!”
How optimistic are you about your chances in your upcoming fight this December?
“I’m confident that I’ll win this fight. I’ve been training very hard over the last year and I know that I can beat my opponent.”
Is it hard to maintain a body like yours? Do you starve yourself to maintain it?
“I don’t starve myself, but there are definitely some restrictions which is the hard part. Before fights, I stay very disciplined and eat healthy food. I love Filipino food and I enjoy everything from crispy pata to longganisa to sisig and isaw. The problem is that these aren’t the best for athletic performance! Hahahaha!!!”
What sort of diet do you regularly follow?
“In general, I have a low-carb/ high-protein diet. The carbs and protein I eat are mostly healthy like brown rice, quinoa and lean cuts of meat.”
What’s usually for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
“For breakfast, I’ve been eating a lot of oatmeal these days. I discovered from a Brazilian friend that if you mix oatmeal with mashed bananas and a little milk powder the night before and pop it in the
fridge, it’s amazing in the morning. It’s like a healthy breakfast dessert treat. Lunch and dinner vary depending on where I am. But it could be a chicken salad or some kind of healthy pasta. Besides that breakfast treat, I like to mix things up so I don’t get bored.” How much water do you take per day?
“It depends on how much I sweat that day and how many workouts I’ve done. Generally, I drink about three liters per day, plus an extra two liters for every additional workout. I’ll go by the ‘pee rule,’ too. If my pee is yellow, that means I’m not hydrated enough.” What vitamins are you taking?
“I take fish oil, B-complex, iron and multivitamins.” How much workout do you do?
“I work out every day. On average, one to three times a day given my condition.” Any part of your body that needs improvement?
“Athletes are always trying to make improvements everywhere. I can’t get much bigger as there are weight classes in MMA like boxing, but I’m always looking to improve.” And the most vulnerable part?
“My neck. I have a really sensitive neck and I get ticklish there easily.” Favorite part of your body?
“Probably, my chest.” What part of a woman’s body
do you notice first? “Usually, her butt.” And what turns you off? “Aggressive women turn me off. I like sweet, down-to-earth girls.” How much sleep do you get per night?
“I’m a night owl. Some of my best ideas and creative thoughts come at 2 or 3 in the morning. I probably get on average of six or seven hours of sleep per night.” How’s your nightlife?
“I go out and enjoy myself, but not so much before I have a fight. Since I don’t drink before fights, it’s not really fun to be that guy holding the glass of iced water in the club. After my fights, though, it’s a different story!” Love life?
“Love it! Each and every moment.” Three women that you think have nice bodies. “KC Concepcion, Rachel Anne Daquis and Olivia Munn.” And three men whose bodies are as nice as yours? “Derek Ramsay, Henry Cavill and Daniel Craig.”
Using only body language, how would you make a girl know that you admire her? P “I would flash her a big smile.” d
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