"Poker After Dark" Packs a Punch With Patrik Antonius

The athlete-poker crossover enters a new weight class on the “Mixed Martial Arts” episode of Poker After Dark. Three of the world’s best from The Octagon hit the felt for a $20,000 Sit-N-Go against three poker icons.

If you step in THE VAULT to watch this episode on PokerGO, it’s best to bring headgear. The show gets ready to rumble with Bruce Buffer. “The Voice of the Octagon” joins heavyweights Dan Henderson and Randy Couture on the MMA side. Henderson competed in the Olympics as a wrestler before taking his ground game to the MMA world. Couture is among the most influential people in growing MMA into what it is today.

Patrik Antonius, Howard Lederer, and Erick Lindgren are the poker players who sit in between the MMA crew. Antonius and Lindgren were top athletes at one point in their life and it is a rarity for either player to not be the most athletic person at their respective table. Antonius battled on the tennis courts of Finland growing up while Lindgren preferred the traditional American sport of basketball.

The episode is far from the first time the MMA world has melded with poker. The late-2000s were filled with championship fighters in search for a different type of title belt in the form of a WSOP Main Event bracelet. Among those who played in poker’s biggest fight include Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, and Georges St-Pierre.

This is the only show in Poker After Dark history to center around a sports-centric theme. The players all enjoy themselves while learning about each other’s background outside of poker.

Poker has always been a popular hobby for professional athletes to participate in. The most notable example of this is former New England Patriot Richard Seymour, who participates in World Poker Tour events throughout the year. Perhaps another Poker After Dark episode filled with some of another game’s best is on the horizon.

Step into the ring, I mean, THE VAULT on PokerGO to watch cultures collide on poker’s home turf. More live events are coming to PokerGO in 2018 including new episodes of Poker After Dark and the inaugural U.S. Poker Open. Stay tuned to Poker Central for all content news with announcements upcoming.