The similarities between the worlds of MMA and poker are too numerous to mention.
If we were to touch on a few, we might look at the significant events primarily held in Las Vegas or MMA’s rich heritage of staging events in other casinos across the United States. There is something poetic in the fact both sports, so very different in many respects, share similar locations for big events.
MMA is a discipline all about preparation, understanding your opponents and knowing how to exploit their strengths and weaknesses. It requires split-second decision making too, and both of those are also a feature of poker. Whether playing online or offline, successful poker players know who they are up against and the type of play they are expecting. In fact, Poker.org explains how top professionals improve their odds of winning by spending more time studying and preparing for a game than they do actually playing in it. The same goes for MMA fighters: their training schedule is likely to be much longer than any bout they take part in.
In terms of decisions, if an MMA fight is going the wrong way, a quick tactic change can save the day. In poker, you might have a strong hand from the off, but the flop sees your position change suddenly. Of course, poker is all about chance as well. In his recent UFC fight against Dustin Poirier, NBCnewyork.com reports that Conor McGregor broke his leg, not because of an offensive move by his opponent but a slice of bad luck. He simply took a step back, and that was that. It was agony for the Irish fighter, but something out of his control. In poker, you might be dealt poker tens, seemingly a great hand, but the last two cards on the river could give your opponent an unlikely flush and see you beaten. There’s nothing you can do about it at all.
That makes crossing over from MMA to poker quite a reasonable career swap. Those skills learned in the Octagon can stand you in good stead around the felt, and several fighters have chosen to try their hand at poker. Here are three who have done so with some success.
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Forrest Griffin
Forrest Griffin epitomized his fighting ethos with the quote: “Infuse heart, soul, spirit and passion, because talent is not enough.” It is a relevant quote not only in MMA but also poker, which is perhaps why the Columbus native was a success in both fields. During his fighting career, Griffin was a Light Heavyweightweight Champion and is a UFC Hall of Fame inductee. Shortly after winning the title, he took part in the 2008 World Series of Poker, lasting around three hours.
Colby Covington
Covington is a former Interim UFC Welterweight Champion with 16 wins and just two defeats. He was also a challenger for the Welterweight Championship but lost to Kamaru Usman at UFC 245 and has only fought once since. He’s also styled himself as something of a dab hand at poker, appearing at the WSOP in 2012 and 2013. He is something of a self-styled villain once even confronting Dana White during a poker game.
Terrence Chan
Terrence Chan isn’t well-known for his MMA record: in six fights, he was beaten twice and wasn’t set for a long and illustrious career in the Octagon. However, he swapped disciplines with great success, using his MMA heritage to become a top poker player. Chan taught himself poker and has 39 cashes at WSOP events with estimated winnings of $770,000. He has since forged a career in the gaming industry, serving as Director of Player Operations for Ultimate Gaming in Las Vegas.
