Mixed martial arts champion Mark "Mugen" Striegl. Paige Javier, ABS-CBN News
MANILA – Mixed martial arts champion Mark "Mugen" Striegl said on Sunday he is proud of the performance of Team Philippines in the Netflix show "Physical: Asia."
In an interview with ABS-CBN News on the sidelines of the Nano Trials in Taguig City, Striegl looked back at the team's performance.
"I'm super proud of my team, all my teammates, you know, we tried our hardest. And of course, you know, there's always going to be hindsight bias. You know, I wish we could have done this thing better or a little bit like this. But, you know, ultimately, super proud of everybody. We gave it everything we had," Striegl said.
"It's been wild and I'm just grateful for all the support and all the support for Team Philippines," he added.
READ: Team Philippines members reflect on exit from 'Physical: Asia'
Team Philippines was initially composed of Striegl, multi-titled strongman Ray Querubin, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, CrossFit athlete Lara Liwanag, rugby player Justin Coveney and hurdler Robyn Brown.
CrossFit athlete Justin Hernandez later joined the team after Pacquiao's exit.
Striegl shared what it was like when Team Philippines got together in South Korea.
"It was awesome, you know, everyone was just trying to do their best and we just wanted to represent the country and fight hard and, you know, everyone was kind and we all clicked and we all got together quickly and got to know one another fast," he said.
TOUGHEST CHALLENGE
Striegl played a key role in several quests for Team Philippines on the show.
The MMA champ showcased his skills in the death match challenge involving the ball and the team rep challenge which tested his hanging endurance.
When asked what was the toughest challenge for him on the show, Striegl chose the death match challenge, where he had to fight for possession of the ball against Thai rugby player Sunny Kerdkao Wechokittikorn.
"Honestly, probably the ball wrestling, that was probably the hardest one for me, just because Sunny is so, so big, you know, like, it was, and I didn't expect him to get to the ball so fast every time, you know, but that's his game rugby, right?," he said.
"So that was probably the most challenging and he did carry me, you know, like a little kid. So, yeah, that was a lot of fun and super challenging," Striegl added.
The sambo champion explained why he chose to keep a calm expression during the hanging endurance challenge, where he stayed on for nearly three hours.
"That was pretty brutal. Yeah, it was just a mind game, you know, my feet were in a lot of pain. I was just trying to block out the pain and look calm," he said.
"You know, also because if you start exerting force and you start acting, you start showing that you're in pain, which I was, then the body is going to follow too. So it was really just like a mind game the whole time and just trying to keep myself cool and breathe through everything," Striegl explained.
READ: Pacquiao takes pride in 'complete' Team PH for 'Physical: Asia'
THOUGHTS ON SHIPWRECK CHALLENGE
Social media was abuzz following the release of the episode involving the shipwreck challenge, where Team Philippines was on the brink of elimination.
The challenge involved teams transporting either 50kg crates or 20kg sacks from a shipwreck to the cargo of their base in 20 minutes.
While lifting the crates or bags, athletes had to walk through water and carry them up steep set of stairs to be transported to the other side.
"I know everyone just tried their hardest and with shipwreck, you know, we kind of just miscalculated and we probably should have had a different strategy for that challenge, you know, but, you know, everyone tried their best in hindsight, everyone did their best and went to the breaking point," Striegl said.
Querubin, a three-time titleholder of Philippines’ Strongest Man, earlier told ABS-CBN News he was sorry for his performance in the challenge.
READ: Ray Querubin sorry for weak showing in 'Physical: Asia' shipwreck
He explained he got worn out early in the quest because his training before the reality show focused more on getting stronger.
Querubin admitted he was not able to inform his team the need to adjust or change strategy.
FAVORITE CAST MEMBER OUTSIDE TEAM PH
Throughout the competition, fans noticed the playful banter between the contestants of each team when they weren't doing the challenges.
Some cast members even met up after the show, with some posting social media collaborations. Striegl had posts with teammate Lara and former Korean national team wrestler Jang Eun Sil.
"There's so many good guys, you know, like we're going to hang out in the mess hall and see everybody on set. Sometimes, you know, sometimes we're looking at each other like funny, you know, because there is competitiveness still, right, especially amongst the combat athletes, you know, so. But, you know, even that it's just gamesmanship, you know, and it's like there's still sportsmanship," he said.
When asked who his favorite cast member was outside Team Philippines, Striegl named members of Team Australia and Team Korea.
"Eddie's a great guy. Eddie's super funny from Team Australia. He's like a giant teddy bear. I like Eddie. Amotti, he's a great guy. Dong Hyun Kim, the captain of Team Korea. So many so many good, good athletes and everyone's just doing their best for their country and for their team," he said.
After his experience on the show, Striegl shared what he believes it takes to be part of "Physical: Asia."
"You know, just do your best in your respective field and bring out that level of fitness, you know, you just got to be willing to grind. And go all out," he said.