Who Is Mark "Mugen" Striegl? 5 Things About the "Physical: Asia" Star
The sambo athlete from Team PH is going viral after his incredible performance in a hanging endurance challenge.
by Firas Abboud
Published on Nov 8, 2025
We’re six episodes into Netflix’s Physical: Asia, and congratulations are in order for Team Philippines—composed of Justin Hernandez (who replaced Manny Pacquiao), Mark “Mugen” Striegl, Ray Querubin, Justin Coveney, Robyn Lauren Brown, and Lara Lorraine Liwanag.
In the third quest, the team placed third in back-to-back challenges, which meant they needed to secure first place in the final round to avoid automatic elimination. The task tested pure hanging endurance—and thanks to Mark’s outstanding performance, the Philippines clinched first place against Korea and Australia.
Following the tremendous feat of hanging for nearly three hours, Mark went viral—deservingly so—and is being called the team's "most valuable player."
Who Is Mark Mugen Striegl? 5 Things About the "Physical: Asia" Star
1. He was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan.
Born in Tokyo on June 23, 1988, 37-year-old Mark is a Cancer. He graduated from St. Mary's International School, where his German-American father and Filipino mother worked as teachers. He then moved to San Diego, California to continue his education.
2. "Mugen" is Mark's fighting name.
Mark learned several fighting styles under the tutelage of his brother, Frank Jr. In fact, it was his brother who gave him the name Mugen, which is the Japanese word for limitless. It is also a character from the Japanese animated series Samurai Champloo.
3. Wrestling was his first foray into martial arts.
Mark's journey as a martial artist began in high school, where he immersed himself in wrestling. He then learned aikido, taekwondo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and sambo. He made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2009 and was undefeated with 12 wins until 2012.
4. He is a gold medalist.
Mark took home the gold medal in sambo at the 30th Southeast Asian Games. Throughout his MMA career so far, he has competed under ONE Championship, Universal Reality Combat Championship, where he became the featherweight champion in 2018, and Ultimate Fighting Championship.
5. He has an acting credit under his belt.
In 2023, Mark played the supporting role of Elimar in the movie Keys to the Heart, which tells the story of a boxer who moves in with his long-lost mother and autistic pianist brother. He starred alongside Zanjoe Marudo, Elijah Canlas, and Dolly de Leon.
