UFC News: Fil-Am Mark Striegl Prepared For Chas Skelly's 'Unpredictable Fighting Style'

Mark Striegl knows that there is a tough task ahead of him when he faces the enigma that is Chas Skelly at UFC Vegas 48 this Saturday, February 19.

The 33-year-old Filipino-American mixed martial artist is fully aware of what is at stake.

International Business Times sports editor and combat analyst Nissi Icasiano asked Streigl about his thoughts going into the fight in a virtual press conference.

“You know, honestly, every fight is a make-or-break fight. There’s a saying in fight sports that [goes], ‘you’re only as good as your last fight.’ There’s pressure in every fight, and [I am] definitely just looking to get that W. That’s it,” Striegl stated.

His UFC debut was a tall order, to say the least, as he was matched up with feared bantamweight Said Nurmagomedov back in October 2020.

Striegl lost the fight in under a minute to Nurmagomedov after he was tagged with a counter left hand to the jaw before the Dagestani rained down punches to secure the TKO victory.

Following the loss, Striegl decided to move back to featherweight because the weight cutting in the 135-pound weight class has simply become too difficult for him to do as he revealed in a previous interview.

The Baguio City, Philippines resident is very much aware of the opportunity that awaits him when he enters the Octagon against Skelly.

“He’s (Chas Skelly) an unpredictable wild man. He has some wins where he just goes out and throws a crazy flying knee into a scramble and latches on a D’Arce choke. I have to be ready for the unpredictable elements in his fight style. I don’t know which one’s going to show up on fight night, so I’ll be ready for both,” Striegl remarked of Skelly’s strengths.

For Striegl, this fight is a must-win situation as the UFC is not afraid of releasing fighters who underperform or fail to string together a series of wins.

MMA fans should definitely watch out for Skelly and Striegl’s matchup as both fighters are famed submission artists throughout their entire careers--the former having 10 wins and the latter with 14.

The 2019 Southeast Asian Games gold medalist for combat sambo must prove that he belongs in the world’s premier MMA organization by putting on a statement victory against “The Scrapper” on the undercard of UFC Vegas 48.

Light heavyweight knockout artists Johnny Walker and Jamaal Hill are set to headline the card with Kyle Daukaus and Jamie Pickett serving as the co-main event.

Fans in the Philippines can watch Striegl’s fight and the entirety of UFC Vegas 48 live via the Tap Go streaming application on February 20, while the card will be broadcasted in the United States through ESPN+ on February 19 at 4:00 PM ET.