UFC fighter Antonio Trocoli gained massive within the 2025 World Collection of Poker’s Colossus event earlier this week, incomes $122,330 after a buy-in of simply $500 amongst a area of 16,300 gamers. Trocoli mentioned “it was a really tough event” that required lots of persistence, however the personal lessons he’s had with former WSOP winners paid off.
“That was the largest hit of my profession,” Trocoli informed MMA Preventing. “I’ve had different prizes earlier than in Brazilian actual, like R$48,000 (approx. $8,600 USD), however not that a lot in {dollars}, proper? Particularly within the Colossus, the largest area in WSOP. … Who doesn’t wish to flip $500 into $500,000? This event pays loads for the worth [of the buy-in]. I had the dream and made it to the ultimate.. It was unimaginable. There are various Brazilians enjoying this for a very long time and by no means made it to the ultimate desk on the Colossus. It’s a historic feat.”
Trocoli’s girlfriend Mackenzie Dern, a top-ranked strawweight within the UFC, was additionally within the event. She began having fun with poker watching Trocoli play on-line, and has had success in movie star tournaments earlier than, however misplaced early this time.
“I’ve to be extra critical, like he does,” Dern informed MMA Preventing. “He’s all targeted in there, listening to his music, glasses. I am going in there to win, however not that critical. He’s rather more critical than I’m.”
“She’s extra unfastened in there,” Trocoli mentioned. “, she’s a prime 5 within the UFC, I’m not, so her cash is 10 occasions increased [laughs]. I am going in there with brief cash so I’ve to carry tight.”
Colossus paid a complete of $542,540 to the winner, Courtenay Williams. Trocoli now focuses on getting into the Millionaire Maker, a WSOP event scheduled for June 18. With a buy-in of $1,500, it pays the winner over $2 million—Trocoli will earn round $600,000 if he additionally finishes sixth in that event, for instance.
Trocoli is getting higher as a poker participant, however that doesn’t imply he’s strolling away from the UFC. The 34-year-old is 0-2 within the promotion with losses to Shara Magomedov—a match he took on lower than every week’s discover—and Tresean Gore, and was compelled out of a middleweight conflict with Mansur Abdul-Malik this previous February resulting from a again harm.
He hopes to be again contained in the octagon in August, however sees a future the place he’s a poker participant—and Navy seal—after he’s completed combating.
“It doesn’t add up. If you evaluate the 2, getting punched within the face or earning profits sitting on a chair?” Trocoli mentioned. “I gained’t cease coaching as a result of I really like staying in form, I prefer to really feel tremendous, however earning profits in just a few hours, brother, there’s no comparability. We battle as a result of we prefer it. Look, we battle 15 or 16 occasions in Brazil to make R$500, typically not even make something, simply to get to the UFC and begin making one thing. We’re on this sport as a result of we love this shit. We’re loopy, and we do love this.
“MMA is nice, however you must cease your life for 2 months and put together to battle and break your self for one thing that isn’t even that a lot. If you win a bonus, cool, however I don’t know. At the moment I don’t have that… It’s not as a result of I gained [at WSOP] or as a result of I acquired to such a excessive prize, however I used to be already enthusiastic about this. … I’m not that excited [about MMA] anymore. I had this harm and my again is form of dangerous, fragile. I nonetheless wish to achieve success at each [MMA and poker] concurrently. However I even have the will to do solely poker as a result of prefer it or not, I’ve made more cash in poker than combating. It’s silly if I don’t select to dwell off poker after combating.”
