(Headline article below) I watched the event last night and it was a good fight card, but betting is so big there were a lot of gambling ads. And this speaks to the problem that is fight fixing, or insider knowledge of someone with an undisclosed injury going into the fight, which can be a problem. For the most part I see very few fights that end suspiciously, but there are times guys won’t risk damage to go for a win, which could be a more subtle version, or just an aversion to taking damage. The UFC is trying to incentivize against this behavior this year with four $100,000 bonuses for fight of the night for both fighters along with two performance of the night bonuses, along with $25,000 guaranteed bonuses for finishing your opponent via submission or knock out. And history tells us if you get caught up in suspicious behavior they’ll cut you and the government athletic commission will ban you and the federal government prosecute you if they can gather enough evidence. And you’ll just throw your career away as it’s much more obvious in one on one fighting.
By Brett Okamoto
LAS VEGAS — The UFC canceled a bout at UFC 324 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena after the contest was flagged for suspicious betting activity.
Just hours before the card was scheduled to start, the UFC announced it had lost a lightweight matchup between Alexander Hernandez (18-8) and Michael Johnson (24-19). The company did not immediately provide a reason for the cancellation, but UFC CEO Dana White confirmed at his postfight news conference it was for suspicious betting activity.
The fight cancellation comes less than three months after the UFC dealt with a major betting scandal surrounding a bout between Isaac Dulgarian and Yadier del Valle. Despite being alerted to suspicious line movement on the match by sports betting watchdog Integrity Compliance 360, the UFC did not cancel that fight in November. Dulgarian, who was a significant betting favorite, lost under suspicious circumstances. He was released by the UFC shortly thereafter.
“It happened again,” White said after Saturday’s card. “We got called from the gaming integrity service, and I said, ‘I’m not doing this s— again.’ So we pulled the fight.”
Following the incident with Dulgarian in November, the UFC announced it was working with the FBI on an investigation. At the time of the incident, White denied any notion that fixed fights were a widespread issue in the UFC.
“People are out there talking, ‘There are 100 fights [flagged as suspicious],’ and that’s usual clickbait bulls—,” White said in November. “We’re watching every single fight that happens in the UFC.”
Saturday’s incident marked the third public federal investigation into suspicious betting activity around the UFC. James Krause, a former UFC fighter and well-known coach, was suspended from cornering in 2023 after a bout involving one of his students, Darrick Minner, drew unusual betting interest. Minner lost in the first round, and it was later revealed he went into the bout with a preexisting injury.