MANILA, Philippines—Filipino-American fighter Mark Striegl was supposed to make his UFC debut Sunday (Manila time) but it got scrapped after he tested positive for COVID-19.
Striegl posted the news on his Instagram account and expressed his gratitude to the UFC for supporting him in his ordeal.
“I tested positive for CV19 and my August 22 UFC fight is cancelled,” wrote Striegl. “Thank you to the UFC for taking care of me and to everyone for all your support! Stay safe everyone!”
Striegl (18-2), who has fought in several promotions including Pacific X-treme Combat, Universal Reality Combat Championship, and ONE Championship, was supposed to take on Timur Valiev (16-2) in UFC on ESPN 15 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Taking Striegl’s stead is PXC veteran Trevin Jones (12-6) who will also make his UFC debut.
Fortunately, Striegl’s symptoms aren’t serious and he expects his recovery to go well.
“You can never be too careful these days. Thankfully, my symptoms are mild and I’m looking forward to bouncing back!” wrote Striegl who’s already in Las Vegas since July to sign his UFC contract and prepare for his match.