UFC star Mackenzie Dern has explained how playing poker, in her mind, has helped her to become a better mixed martial artist.
On Saturday night, Mackenzie Dern will get the chance of a lifetime. She will go head to head with Virna Jandiroba as the two battle it out for the UFC strawweight championship. This will be the second time that they fight one another in the UFC, and when they first met five years ago, it was Dern who managed to get her hand raised.
While there will undoubtedly be some changes that both women implement heading into the rematch, Mackenzie Dern is bound to be feeling confident. She is just one big performance and win away from cementing her legacy as a UFC champion, something that she's been striving for ever since she first entered the promotion.
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Mackenzie Dern explains positive impact of playing poker
"Poker’s 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, to be honest. I started playing about a year ago, and since then, I’m on a two-fight win streak. I think there’s a correlation there."
Dern knows the size of the task that lies ahead of her, but if she's able to stay calm under pressure, she'll be well on her way to the title.