UFC strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern says an unlikely hobby has helped transform the way she approaches fighting: no-limit Texas Hold’em.
The 33-year-old believes poker taught her to become more patient, control her emotions and think several moves ahead rather than simply reacting to what is happening in front of her.
Those lessons appear to be paying off.
Dern successfully defended her UFC strawweight championship against Gillian Robertson at UFC 330 in Philadelphia on Saturday, extending her winning streak and continuing a remarkable turnaround that she believes has been partly influenced by her time at the poker table.
Mackenzie Dern Discovers No-Limit Hold’em
Dern began playing poker recreationally around 2024, during a period when her UFC career had become increasingly inconsistent.
She had initially looked destined for a title opportunity after winning six of her first seven UFC fights. However, four defeats across her next six appearances slowed that momentum.
Dern has since acknowledged that controlling her emotions was a major weakness.
She could begin fights following a carefully prepared strategy, only for that plan to disappear once exchanges became heated. Rather than remaining composed, she would become increasingly aggressive and start chasing the fight.
Poker presented her with a very different challenge.
No-limit Texas Hold’em rewards aggression in the right situations, but it also punishes players who allow emotion to dictate their decisions.
For Dern, learning that distinction became surprisingly useful inside the Octagon.
Poker Taught Dern to Be Patient
One of the biggest lessons Dern took from poker was that having a strong hand does not necessarily mean immediately committing everything.
She used pocket aces as an example when discussing her poker experience. Moving all-in might feel natural with the strongest starting hand in Hold’em, but doing so can simply force every opponent to fold and limit the value of the hand.
Instead, players need to consider their opponents, assess the situation and decide how much value can realistically be extracted.
Dern began recognizing similarities with fighting.
Rather than attacking simply because an opportunity appears to exist, she could remain patient, study an opponent’s reactions and wait for a better moment.
That includes considering not only what she intends to do next, but what her opponent might be preparing to do in response.
Reading Poker Players and Reading Fighters
The psychological side of poker has also influenced Dern.
Players constantly search for information at the table. Betting patterns, timing, aggression and previous decisions can all help build a picture of how an opponent is likely to behave.
Fighters face a similar problem.
Every movement can provide information about what might happen next, from changes in stance to reactions following a feint or strike.
Dern says poker encouraged her to think more about those possibilities instead of concentrating exclusively on her own plan.
It is an interesting crossover between two sports where emotional control and decision-making under pressure can be just as important as technical ability.
Poker professionals regularly spend years developing the ability to make rational decisions while facing enormous financial swings. Players such as Dan “Jungleman” Cates have similarly spoken extensively about mindset, emotional control and decision-making as fundamental parts of becoming a stronger poker player.
A Three-Fight Winning Streak Becomes a UFC Championship
Dern’s results improved alongside that change in mindset.
Wins over Loopy Godinez and Amanda Ribas put her back into championship contention before she defeated Virna Jandiroba to capture the UFC strawweight title in October 2025.
That victory finally delivered the championship opportunity that had appeared within reach much earlier in her career.
Robertson then became the first challenger to Dern’s reign at UFC 330.
Dern successfully retained the championship with a unanimous decision victory at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena, taking another step towards establishing herself at the top of the division.
It also provided an immediate demonstration of the patience and composure she had been discussing before the fight.
Poker and Elite Sport Continue to Cross Over
Dern is far from the first elite athlete to become fascinated by poker.
The combination of competition, psychology, mathematics and pressure has attracted professional athletes from numerous sports.
Football superstar Neymar, for example, remains a regular poker player and has competed in major live events, including the Brazilian Series of Poker. Poker Type recently covered Neymar’s return to the poker tables while still playing professional football.
Dern’s relationship with poker is slightly different.
She is not suggesting that playing cards suddenly made her a UFC champion. Instead, she believes learning another strategy game forced her to think differently about risk, patience and emotional control.
Those are skills that translate remarkably well to fighting.
After successfully defending her championship at UFC 330, it may be some time before Dern is able to return to the poker table.
She has previously said she avoids playing during training camps.
When the cards eventually come back out, however, poker has become considerably more than just an off-season hobby for the UFC champion.
