MMA fighter Mark "Mugen" Striegl and Brillante Mendoza are two of the Filipinos bringing honor to the Philippines in several ways. The former is considered one of the hottest prospects in Asian MMA while the latter is the only Filipino filmmaker to win Best Director at Cannes Film Festival, the Olympics of filmmaking.
As a fighter who does not get intimated by challenges, Mugen is often asked if he would give a hand at acting in the future. Adding to the fact that he looks like "The Fighter" actor Mark Wahlberg, the MMA fighter is open to the possibility of becoming an actor.
In an interview with Yibada, Mugen was asked if he would be interested in acting in a film directed by Mendoza. He replied, "Of course, (but) I have to get a lot better at acting,"
"If given the opportunity, I'd be more than happy," Mugen said on working with Mendoza. "I'd be honored to work with him, but definitely, I have to up my game first."
Mugen was asked about the types of roles he would prefer to play. He noted that he is open to all kinds of challenges and he is a hard worker and a fighter who never shies away from challenge.
"If given the opportunity, I'd be down for any kind of role," Mugen said. He noted that as an MMA fighter, it is likely that he will be given an action film role but for him, he is willing to do other types of roles.
If Mugen transitions to acting, he will not be the first Asian-American MMA fighter to do so. Vietnamese-American actor and retired MMA fighter Cung Le made his acting debut in the 1997 film "Sleight of Hand" opposite Chinese-American actor Jason Yee and Giselle Jones.
Le went on to star in several films including "Tekken" and "The Man with the Iron Fists." He is set to star in the upcoming films "Savage Dog," "Security" and "Infected."
Watch a clip from the interview with Mugen here: