Source: UFC Vet Mark Striegl to Face Walter Cogliandro at UAE Warriors 39

Fighting for the first time since his release by the Ultimate Fighting Championship last year, Mark Striegl’s quest for redemption will pick up where his Octagon journey began.

According to a source with knowledge of the matchup, the 34-year-old Filipino will take on Italy’s Walter Cogliandro in a 150-pound catchweight bout at UAE Warriors 39 on March 18 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The source asked to remain anonymous since the fight has yet to be announced officially.

Former Universal Reality Combat Championship titleholder Striegl (18-4, 1 NC) joined the UFC in 2020 after compiling a four-fight win streak with one no contest. His debut, at UFC Fight Night 180 in Abu Dhabi’s Flash Forum, nicknamed “Fight Island” by the promotion, ended in a knockout loss to Said Nurmagomedov. His second UFC appearance, at UFC Fight Night 201 last February, saw him lose to Chas Skelly in similar fashion, leading to his release in May.

SBG Ireland representative Cogliandro (11-4-1) is looking to bounce back from a two-bout skid. In his latest appearances, “The Snatch” dropped a unanimous decision to Jae Hyuk Bang at Brave CF 58 before being outpointed by Yves Landu on all scorecards at Bellator 287. Cogliandro’s latest victory dates back to March 2022, when he edged Sten Saaremae at Cage MMA Finland 53.

UAE Warriors 39 will go down at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on March 18. The card is topped by a featherweight clash between Mochamed Machaev and Bagdos Olzhabay while the co-headliner features a bantamweight clash between Vinicius de Oliveira Prestes de Matos and Hikaru Yoshino.