For large spells of Mackenzie Dern’s see-saw UFC career, she lacked a key characteristic that defines many champions.

After making her debut in the promotion in 2018, the American-Brazilian had a magnificent start where she won six of her first seven fights to get to the cusp of a title shot.

Dern was tipped to be the strawweight division’s next big star, following in the footsteps of greats such as Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Rose Namajunas and Zhang Weili, but four defeats in her next six fights saw her crowning moment put on ice.

Looking back, the 33-year-old puts her defeats down to a lack of composure.

“I’ve always been – and people who have seen my fights think it – an emotional fighter,” Dern tells BBC Sport.

“So I come out nice and technical but after two or three punches land, I would go into red mode and go forward.

“Basically the whole strategy goes out the window.”

It wasn’t until 2024 that a change in Dern’s social life coincided with her growth as a fighter.

Dern started playing no-limit Texas hold’em poker – a card game that mixes elements of gambling, mathematics and psychology.

She only plays outside of training camps, but since starting has won three straight fights, including victory over Virna Jandiroba last October to realise her dream of becoming a UFC champion.

Dern says the skills she learned altered her mindset when it came to training, sparring and competition.

On Saturday at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Dern will be hoping to apply what she’s learned in the first defence of her belt against Canada’s Gillian Robertson.

“In poker you need to be able to control your emotions. There’s times I’d have a pair of aces and go all in, but then no-one jumps in and you get very little money for it,” says Dern.

“You have to learn how to extract and read people, and that’s something I’ve been able to put into my fighting.

“I’ve learned how to be more calm. Poker is a patience game. That emotional part and reading people is something I didn’t have but since poker, I’ve been able to implement that into my fighting.”

Although Dern has found success in poker, it comes with risks – such as problem gambling.

A 2018 study published in Australia found 39% of the regular poker players it surveyed had moderate to severe gambling problems, while about a quarter had caused financial problems for themselves or their households.

We have an interesting day’s racing on Friday with Flat action from Newbury and Yarmouth, live on Sky Sports Racing…

5.23 Newbury – Efsixteen heads Listed race field

Compelling debut winner Efsixteen steps up in class in the Listed St Hugh’s Stakes.

Victorious Forever and George Scott unleashed the 350,000gns Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up purchase at Newmarket on Guineas weekend where she showed plenty of ability to beat subsequent Listed winners Crownbreaker and Havana Sprite. Her handler took the patient approach in skipping Royal Ascot, and if there have been no major issues since, she could be the one to beat.

The Charlie Appleby-trained Acting Lady won a maiden at the Newmarket July meeting which is working out well, and she clashes with Sexy Chick again who got the better of her on debut before she also went on to get off the mark in good style.

Fast Track poses a formidable threat, having improved since a creditable run in the Queen Mary, when bolting up at Beverley and finishing a good second to the well-thought-of Wild Blossom at Glorious Goodwood.

Blue Flight and Cosmic Mystery shaped better than their finishing positions last time out, with a sharp five furlongs looking sure to suit.

Acclamation Star ran on well in a hot renewal of the Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes, and backed that up when a close second as she was shouldering a heavy weight in a nice nursery at Newmarket. She should be very competitive, and Angels Lane cannot be discounted after an encouraging second over course and distance in the Super Sprint last month.

4.45 Newbury – Sorrengail faces eye-catching Evenfall

Sorrengail clashes with impressive debut winner Evenfall in the Betvictor Watch Weekend Winners EBF Fillies’ Conditions Stakes.

Sorrengail backed up an eye-catching debut effort with another smart performance to score at Ascot, beating next-time-out winner Speed of Sound in the process. With Rockfel and Cheveley Park entries, she is a filly with a nice future, and should be going well here.

Evenfall is one of two in the field that puts her unbeaten credentials on the line, and was arguably the most impressive debutant when scoring by nearly two lengths over Musselburgh novice winner Minster Man. If she can back up that display, she could be tough for Sorrengail to overcome.

Ferrystream is also unbeaten having won well on debut at Windsor last month, with Spirit Of Lyra looking to back up her impressive win at Lingfield where she took a sizeable step forward after an average debut.

Coat Of Red is a half-sister to high-class Group Two winner Chindit and showed that quality on her second start when winning easily, with further improvement on the cards.

2.03 Yarmouth – Matins returns for Haggas

Promising prospect Matins returns in the Download The Quinnbet App “Confined” Novice Stakes.

Matins looked very professional on debut when showing an abundance of ability to score in taking fashion. He is half-brother to the smart Group Two winner and Group One-placed Sacred, so this William Haggas-trained three-year-old could yet grow into an even better prospect, particularly when stepping up in trip.

His opposition comes in the form of the Ilka Gansera-Leveque-trained Emperor Aurelius, who will have to exceed expectations to give the stable their first winner of the year.

Best of the rest

3.35 Newbury – 500,000gns Frankel colt Quicken Away debuts for Andrew Balding.

4.10 Newbury – Al Samsama attempts to defy a penalty when opposing Ascot eye-catcher Sweetwonderfulyou.

5.58 Newbury – Trappy handicap with a few interesting runners.

2.38 Yarmouth – Godolphin’s 1m gns yearling Rock Montreal debuts.

3.13 Yarmouth – Divot bids for a hat-trick.

3.03 Clairefontaine – Zulu Chant headlines Listed affair.

Iga Swiatek claimed her first title of the season with a dominant 6-2 6-3 win over Elena Rybakina in the final of the National Bank Open in Toronto.

The Polish seventh seed gained an early advantage in the first set when the world No 2 gave up a break point on back-to-back double faults.

That was all the room Swiatek needed as she continued her stellar form from earlier in the tournament to race away with the opening set.

Unforced errors continued to cost Rybakina into the second set, as two missed backhands gifted Swiatek another break.

Rybakina was able to stave off one championship point, but Swiatek converted on her second opportunity to clinch her first title since last September.

Speaking at the post-match awards ceremony, Swiatek dedicated her victory to “everyone who is dealing with unfair judgement and hate”.

She said: “Just keep pushing, keep growing, keep focusing on yourself because you know what’s best for you.

“Always remember what’s ahead and what might be possible.”

Shelton retains crown

In the men’s draw, American Ben Shelton retained his crown by eclipsing compatriot Brandon Nakashima 6-3 7-6 (7-4) in Montreal.

Shelton did not drop a set throughout the tournament and is just the fourth man this century to go back-to-back at the event, joining Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

He told atptour.com: “For me to play the way that I played this week to go through this draw speaks to the work I have been putting in.

“It also speaks to my mental toughness, my ability to focus through everything that was going on this week.”

Watch the ATP and WTA Tours and US Open from August 30, live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app.