FILIPINO-AMERICAN Mark Striegl had a rude welcome to the UFC after getting knocked out by Russian Said Nurmagomedov in the first round in the curtain raiser of UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. Korean Zombie on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, at the UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Nurmagomedov just needed 51 seconds to end Striegl’s night.
As Striegl was coming in with punches, Nurmagomedov landed with a counter left to the head that dropped the former URCC champion on one knee. Striegl tried to counter with a single leg takedown but Nurmagomedov unleashed a series of punches to his head. Nurmagomedov continued to pound on Striegl’s head until he was out cold.
The 32-year-old Striegl suffered his first loss in five years and dropped to 18-3.
Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, bounced back from a loss to Raoni Barcelos in December and improved to 14-2.
Striegl was supposed to make his UFC debut against Timur Valiev last Aug. 22, 2020 but the fight was cancelled after he tested positive for Covid-19. (EKA)