MMA Fighters Try Their Hand at the WSOP

Out in Las Vegas, mixed martial arts fighters are well known and highly respected. There is no doubt that they command the respect that they deserve as athletes and competitors in the world’s fastest growing sport. Sin City is a regular location for MMA cards and follower gatherings and come the July 4th weekend, the UFC will provide the fireworks with UFC 162 and Fan Expo. But there is one place where their opponents go right for the throat with nary a hint of hesitation and that is the poker table.

That’s right. There has been a litany of professional MMA fighters taking part in the World Series of Poker and even some of the bigger names have had their struggles playing the ultimate card game. WSOP poker is no joke, mind you, even for the toughest men on the planet.

Georges St-Pierre, the UFC welterweight champion who entered the 2012 WSOP poker tournament to raise money for his anti-bullying charity, didn’t last nearly as long as he frequently does in the Octagon. One of the more unique occurrences took place back at the 2008 WSOP poker extravaganza when the UFC’s Forrest Griffin beat Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in a hard-fought five round unanimous decision, went to the hospital to get stitched up and on a mere two hours sleep, made it to the table with $10,000 worth of chips. Griffin suffered a quick knock out at the Rio but had some good company when fellow UFCer Chuck Liddell was eliminated the same day at a different table.

No one will argue how hard one of the UFC greats are to knock out – except for at the WSOP.

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