Mark Striegl is set to return to the Octagon next month as he faces American veteran Chas Skelly in a featherweight bout in UFC Fight Night.
Striegl hopes to chalk up his promotional win at the APEX Facility in Las Vegas, Nevada following a heartbreaking first-round loss against Said Nurmagomedov last October 2020.
"I think he's (Skelly) a great opponent to really test myself. He's a veteran of the sport, veteran of the UFC," said Striegl during Friday's UFC's media availability with Filipino scribes via Tap Go. "I believe it's a perfect opportunity for me to showcase my skill."
After losing to Nurmagomedov, the 33-year-old Striegl was supposed to face Johnny Munoz Jr. in April last year but suffered an injury during training camp which forced him to sit out of the card.
Against Skelly, Striegl will be facing an aggressive striker who is coming from a two-year layoff.
The American fighter last saw action in the Octagon last September 2019 with a unanimous decision victory against Jordan Griffin.
"Chas, in my opinion, just like his name entails, his nickname is "The Scrapper" and I think that's perfect for his fight style," said Striegl of Skelly. "He's a scrappy, tough, gritty veteran with tricks up his sleeves so I have to respect the skills that he has and impose my will on fight night."
Striegl, for his part, had dominated the URCC's featherweight division as its reigning champion before jumping ship to the UFC.
Interestingly, both Striegl and Skelly have identical mixed martial arts records of 18-3.
"That's like the first time that's ever happened. It's pretty interesting. I mean, what are the odds right?" added the 2019 Southeast Asian Games sambo gold medalist.