Fresh off his UFC light heavyweight title win, Forrest Griffin made an appearance at the World Series of Poker. He didn’t fare particularly well, presumably his conditioning wasn’t bad enough and hadn’t inhaled enough cigarette smoke to compete with the other casino lifers. Most significant is the reaction of the crowd to the presence of the new champ–he was clearly the biggest star in a room full of poker luminaries and other celebs:

When cards hit the air Sunday afternoon, Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, Doyle Brunson, Todd Brunson, Paul Azinger, Annie Duke, Shannon Elizabeth, Howard Lederer, Antonio Esfandiari and Jen Tilly were among the dozens of well-known players trying to win a bracelet. But for most of the fans, the only person in the room that counted was Forest Griffin.

On Saturday night, Griffin upset light heavyweight UFC champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson with a unanimous decision in a five-round fight. And on Sunday afternoon, Griffin, still sporting a black eye and raw face from the fight, was sitting at table “Blue 40,” just insides the ropes, and just feet from the fans stacked five-deep in the aisle trying to catch a glimpse of their new hero.

Seated at Griffin’s table was another big fan of the newly minted UFC champ — Johnny Chan. And the two-time Main Event champion made it no secret that he was an unabashed Griffin fan.
Griffin

“I was there last night,” Chan told Griffin. “The way you took Jackson down was amazing.”

As the crowd and the TV cameras swarmed Griffin, an All-In Energy representative slipped in and placed a patch on Griffin’s shirt.

Griffin told Casino City that he had never played in a tournament before. “I’ve played in basements for beers and nickels, but that’s about it.”

And his inexperience at the table showed. Griffin played in just about every hand. Once, he called every bet to the river without looking at his cards.

“Is that how Patrik (Antonius) coached you how to play,” Chan asked with the needle out.

“No,” said a smiling Griffin in response. “This is a new style of play.”

Midway through Griffin’s day, the UFC champ rivered a full house, and Chan rushed over to congratulate the fighter and pose for a picture.

Forrest Griffin at World Series of Poker @ Casino City Times