The worlds of mixed martial arts (MMA) and poker are surprisingly interconnected. Both attract similar demographics, primarily men between 25 and 40 with an enviable knack for taking risks and distinguished self-confidence.
Unsurprisingly, some Ultimate Fighting Club (UFC) celebrities like to throw punches and kicks in the ring and punch their opponent’s payroll around the poker table. We present to you a deeper dive into the interconnection between MMA and poker and the UFC fighters who like to play in online poker rooms with bonuses or poker in general.
The Popularity of MMA and Poker
MMA and poker have been around for ages, but the two started going mainstream at around the same time, between 1997 and 2006. The UFC, the world’s most popular MMA promoter, started in 1993. By 1997, it had garnered considerable followership globally thanks to the internet. The UFC surpassed other combat sports like boxing and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in annual revenues in 2006 by generating over $200 million.
In 2010, Dana White, the UFC president, made headlines when he alleged that the UFC was more popular than the NFL. His claims are somewhat true as UFC boasts of a global audience, unlike the NFL, whose main audience is in the US. The brand value of the UFC stands at $2 billion. Poker attained renewed notoriety and went global by 2006, thanks to the rise of online casinos. By 2021, the global casino and online gambling market had reached $231 billion, largely thanks to poker.
Terrence Chan
Terrence Chan is an impressive MMA fighter and high-stakes poker player. He was born in 1980 in Hong Kong, and he is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds. Chan is a bantamweight-class fighter whose pro-fight history involves 4 wins and 2 losses. Of his wins, three were by submission and 1 by decision. Terrence Chan has had an impressive winning streak on the poker side. Since 2017, he has won roughly $100,000 through the World Series of Poker events, with his biggest win being $79,210 in October 2021.
Lex Veldhuis
Lex has some MMA experience but never got to the pro level. His most notable MMA fight was against Bertrand Grospellier, where he won Marbella. However, he is a very successful professional poker player and streamer. Lex was born in 1983 in the Netherlands, and he is 6 feet tall and weighs 154 pounds. On May 19, 2020, this professional poker player set the record for the highest viewership for a single poker broadcast on Twitch. Lex Veldhuis has earned more than $665,620 through live poker tournaments.
Bertrand Grospellier
Grospellier is a Muay Thai, and kickboxing fighter who has several MMA wins under his belt. It’s on the poker stage where he shines more, as in January 2008, he emerged first in the EPT PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, bagging $2 million in prize money. The same year in October, he took home $1.4 million after winning the WPT Fest al Lago poker tournament.
Try Your Luck
At Tight Poker, we believe you can win big by playing poker if you are willing to try your luck. And looking at these examples of MMA fighters who are also good poker players, it is easy to see the similarities between the two industries in terms of the skills required.
