MMA Fighter and Recreational Poker Player Mackenzie Dern Wins UFC Strawweight Title

Mackenzie Dern, a professional MMA fighter in the UFC strawweight division and a recreational poker player, captured the vacant UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship on Saturday, October 25, defeating Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision.

Dern, who entered the bout ranked No. 5 in the division, earned her first UFC title after former champion Zhang Weili vacated the belt to move up and challenge for the flyweight championship against Valentina Shevchenko.

The fight was closely contested through four rounds, but Dern’s strong finish in the fifth proved decisive. The judges scored the bout 48–47, 49–46, and 48–47, giving Dern the edge in a rematch of their 2020 meeting, which she also won by decision.

Dern’s Poker Background

Outside the Octagon, Dern is an active recreational poker player and a familiar face on the Celebrity Poker Tour (CPT) at PokerGO Studios in Las Vegas. She has three recorded results on her Hendon Mob profile, including a 7th-place finish in May 2025 worth $2,500.

Dern also made headlines during the 2025 World Series of Poker, entering the $500 Colossus event. While she didn’t cash, her husband, fellow MMA fighter Antonio Trocoli, finished 6th for $122,330, earning his biggest live result to date.

Dern has credited her poker experiences with enhancing her mental game in MMA. In previous interviews, she has said she believes that poker has helped her control her emotions, read opponents, and pick the right moments, skills that have translated into improved pacing, entries, and submission chains in her fights. “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 shared.

As she celebrates becoming a UFC champion, don’t be surprised if Dern takes a seat at the poker table again soon, this time with a gold belt around her waist.