MMA Star and Poker Regular Shows Her Winning Edge
Mackenzie Dern, a familiar face on the Celebrity Poker Tour and a top contender in the UFC strawweight division, turned her fighting instincts into gold on Saturday, October 25, as she claimed the vacant UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship with a unanimous decision victory over Virna Jandiroba.
Ranked No. 5 heading into the bout, Dern fought through a razor-close contest before pulling ahead in the championship rounds. The judges scored it 48–47, 49–46, and 48–47, giving Dern the edge in a rematch of their 2020 meeting, which she also won on points. The win marks her first UFC title, coming after Zhang Weili vacated the belt to move up and challenge Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight crown.
From the Octagon to the Felt
Away from the cage, Dern has become a recognizable figure on the poker scene, often seen competing in events at PokerGO Studios in Las Vegas. A regular on the Celebrity Poker Tour (CPT), she has three recorded Hendon Mob results, including a 7th-place finish in May 2025 worth $2,500.
Dern also made an appearance at the 2025 World Series of Poker, taking a shot in the $500 Colossus event. While she didn’t make a deep run, her husband—and fellow fighter—Antonio Trocoli did, finishing 6th for $122,330 in what stands as his biggest live score to date.
“Poker Has Helped Me Become a Better Fighter”
Dern often draws parallels between the cage and the poker table, crediting the game for improving her emotional control and strategic timing—two traits that served her well on fight night.
“Poker has helped me control my emotions. I’m very impulsive, but in poker, you have to learn patience. folding, reading people, waiting for the right moment. It’s helped me become a better fighter,” Dern said.
Reading Opponents, Timing the Strike
Dern’s latest performance showed just how far that mindset has taken her. Like a player reading a table full of tells, she waited for the right moments to strike, mixing composure with aggression in the late rounds to secure the win.
Now holding her first UFC championship belt, Dern has cemented herself among the elite in MMA—and she might just celebrate the way poker players do: by jumping into another high-stakes game. Don’t be surprised if the new champ is soon spotted back at the tables, this time bringing a gold belt and a champion’s confidence to the felt.
