FBI Warning Precedes Abnormal UFC Vegas Finish as Sportsbooks Pull the Plug
A first-round submission victory by undefeated Yadier del Valle over featherweight Isaac Dulgarian at UFC Vegas 110 on November 1 has triggered widespread alarm about betting integrity and prompted major sportsbooks to issue refunds to affected customers. The unusual circumstances surrounding the fight, combined with dramatic last-minute changes in betting odds, have prompted speculation about potential manipulation and sparked calls for investigations into the bout’s legitimacy.
Sportsbooks Refund Bettors After Suspicious Line Movement in UFC Vegas 110 Fight Between Isaac Dulgarian and Yadier del Valle
Dulgarian entered the UFC fight as a clear favorite on most sportsbooks, initially listed at -250 odds to defeat the rising del Valle. However, in the hours immediately preceding the matchup, exceptional volume began flowing toward del Valle, forcing major betting platforms to adjust their lines significantly. The line movement was substantial enough to alarm the gambling community. Dulgarian’s odds shifted from -250 all the way down to approximately -166, a movement that typically indicates a massive influx of money wagered on the underdog. This degree of line volatility triggered alerts at multiple sportsbooks, and several platforms, including DraftKings, elected to pull certain proposition bets from the market entirely to mitigate their exposure.
Del Valle secured a decisive first-round submission victory, forcing Dulgarian to tap out to a rear-naked choke at 3:41 of the opening round. The finish came despite Dulgarian’s established wrestling credentials and history of never being submitted throughout his professional career before this event. What unfolded in the cage raised eyebrows among combat sports observers. Del Valle stuffed an initial takedown attempt from Dulgarian and immediately reversed position to gain back control. The Cuban fighter then applied a body triangle and subsequently locked in the rear-naked choke, ultimately forcing the submission.
Isaac Dulgarian vs. Yadier del Valle
In the aftermath of the fight, multiple major sportsbooks took the unprecedented step of refunding losing bets to customers on the bout. Caesars Sportsbook and William Hill US both announced they would provide cash credits within 24 hours for single bets that lost on the fight, or within 24 hours of the last leg being determined for parlay bets that would have won if that particular leg had been excluded from the wager. DraftKings similarly acknowledged the situation in a statement, though the company indicated it was monitoring developments.
Analyst Michael Chiesa, a respected voice in the MMA community, questioned fundamental grappling mechanics that Dulgarian failed to execute, specifically noting that the fighter did not attempt to peel del Valle’s grip when caught in the choke. Instead, Dulgarian threw ineffective punches backward rather than employing basic defensive jiu-jitsu principles. Chiesa stated, “That was an F- performance. It was absolute trash.” He further noted that Dulgarian fought like an amateur and exhibited numerous beginner-level mistakes that would be unexpected from a UFC main card athlete.
On social media, several MMA personalities and observers pointed to circumstances beyond the technical aspects of the fight. One member of the betting community who works in the gaming industry reported that Hard Rock Casino received five separate large bets from different individuals on del Valle winning in round one, which was unusual enough to trigger internal alert systems at the establishment. Social media posts highlighted additional contextual details, including the observation that Dulgarian trained at Factory X, the same gym where disgraced coach James Krause once operated before facing suspension following a 2022 betting scandal.
FBI
The UFC placed a ban on fighters training with Krause in December 2022 following an investigation into suspicious betting patterns surrounding a fight between Krause-coached Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke on November 5, 2022. In that bout, abnormal betting activity preceded Minner’s first-round finish despite competing with a significant leg injury. The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Krause’s license in connection with that investigation, and Minner was released from the promotion. The FBI was subsequently identified as cooperating with the UFC on multiple ongoing government investigations related to that bout and surrounding circumstances.
Regarding the current situation, sources on social media claimed that federal authorities notified the UFC of the abnormal line movement and provided the promotion with hours to pull the fight from the card, according to a post from MMA analyst Harry Mac on X, formerly Twitter. However, according to this account, the UFC chose to proceed with the matchup despite these notifications. The UFC has not issued any public statement confirming or denying these allegations as of the reporting date.
“VERY important tidbit here: the FBI notified the UFC of the abnormal action and line movement and gave them hours to pull the fight. They chose to continue and from my perspective are now complicit in fixing a fight.”
