As Mackenzie Dern prepares for her first UFC title shot against Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom credits an unexpected training partner for her recent success: poker. The strawweight contender, currently riding a two-match win streak, has found that the mental game required at the poker table translates directly to her performances inside the Octagon.
“It’s very similar to (MMA)Â in a way where, like, you know, you know how the high reward, high risk, low reward, and just you having to do those calculations, but kind of quickly, you know, and reading the person and taking advantage of momentum,”
Dern explained. The 31-year-old has immersed herself in the poker community over the past year, participating in celebrity poker tours, competing in the World Series of Poker, and even securing a poker sponsorship.
For someone who describes herself as “very impulsive” as an Aries, poker has provided crucial lessons in patience and emotional control.
“It helped me a lot to control, um, and just kind of play the mental game,”
Dern told interviewer.
“Now I’m able to—poker’s helped me do that—be a better, in my opinion, it’s helped me be a better fighter because I started playing poker like a year ago, and you know, I got a poker sponsor. I’ve been doing celebrity poker, did WSOP, um, and I’m on a two-fight win streak, so I think there’s a correlation there.”
The parallels between poker and competition extend beyond simple risk assessment. Dern has learned the value of patience, knowing when to fold, and accepting that sometimes the best move is to wait for the right opportunity. This mindset shift has been instrumental in her journey to the title shot, especially after experiencing setbacks against top contenders like Yan Xiaonan, Amanda Lemos and Marina Rodriguez.
The poker community has welcomed Dern with open arms, offering her a diverse network of people from different backgrounds and cultures united by their love of the game.
“That’s what’s good about poker. You can play even until you’re like 90 years old, you know what I mean? So it’s like something that I definitely see myself being involved in when I stop fighting,”
she said, indicating poker may become a significant part of her post-competition career.
Dern faces Jandiroba in Abu Dhabi for the vacant strawweight title—a rematch of their 2019 bout that Dern won via decision—she brings not just improved striking and grappling skills but a refined mental game honed at poker tables across the country. Whether reading opponents’ intentions, managing risk, or staying patient under pressure, the skills she’s developed playing cards may prove just as valuable as her legendary jiu-jitsu pedigree when the cage door closes.
