Mixed martial arts champion Mark Mugen Striegl reflected on Team Philippines’ performance in the Netflix show Physical: Asia during an interview with ABS-CBN News on November 17, 2025, at the Nano Trials in Taguig City.
Striegl said he was super proud of his team and all his teammates, noting that there was 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," he added.
He also expressed gratitude for the support given to Team Philippines throughout the competition.
Team Philippines was initially composed of Striegl, strongman Ray Querubin, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, CrossFit athlete Lara Liwanag, rugby player Justin Coveney, and hurdler Robyn Brown.
After Pacquiao's exit, CrossFit athlete Justin Hernandez joined the team.
Striegl described the team’s preparation in South Korea, explaining that it was an "awesome" experience where everyone tried their best, focused on representing the country, and quickly developed cohesion.
He added that the team members clicked well, built rapport fast, and supported each other throughout the early stages of the competition.
Striegl participated in several challenges, including the death match challenge and the team representative challenge that tested hanging endurance.
He explained his approach to the hanging endurance challenge, noting that it was a "mind game," and his feet experienced significant pain.
He then concentrated on blocking out discomfort while maintaining a calm expression throughout the nearly three-hour task. He added,
"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 identified the death match challenge as the toughest for him, where he competed against Thai rugby player Sunny Kerdkao Wechokittikorn for possession of the ball.
He explained that the "ball wrestling" was the most difficult part for him, as Sunny was very large and reached the ball quickly each time.
Striegl noted that he did not expect the speed and strength Sunny brought to the challenge, emphasizing that it reflected Sunny’s rugby skills and made the contest particularly demanding throughout the match.
He also mentioned,
"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."
The shipwreck challenge required teams to transport 50kg crates or 20kg sacks from a shipwreck through water and up steep stairs to their base within 20 minutes.
Striegl noted that everyone tried their hardest and that with the shipwreck, they kind of just miscalculated and probably should have had a different "strategy" for that challenge. He then added,
"But, you know, everyone tried their best in hindsight, everyone did their best and went to the breaking point."
Querubin also commented on his own performance, stating he was worn out early in the quest because his training before the reality show focused more on getting "stronger."
Stay tuned for more updates.
TOPICS: Physical: Asia Mark Mugen, Netflix, Physical: Asia, Physical: Asia Team Philippines Mark Mugen, Physical: Asia elimination, Physical: Asia finale, Physical: Asia Team Philippines, Physical: Asia winner
