The UFC Betting Scandal Explained – Unusual Money, Suspicious Finishes, and Federal Flags
The UFC finds itself at the center of a betting controversy that has drawn comparisons to the most serious gambling scandals in combat sports history. On November 1, 2025, at UFC Vegas 110, featherweight Isaac Dulgarian lost to Yadier del Valle via first-round submission in a fight marked by suspicious betting patterns that prompted immediate action from sportsbooks.
UFC Betting Scandal Explained
The sequence of events surrounding the Dulgarian-del Valle bout reveals a picture of potential manipulation. Dulgarian entered the fight as a substantial favorite at -250 odds against the undefeated Cuban fighter del Valle. However, in the hours leading up to the contest, the betting market experienced dramatic shifts. Dulgarian’s odds dropped from -250 to approximately -154, while unusual volume poured in on del Valle to win, particularly via first-round finish. Multiple sportsbooks reported receiving large bets on del Valle from new accounts, dormant sharp accounts, and in patterns that triggered internal alert systems. In the sum of millions of dollars, suddenly betting of a first-round submission win.
Isaac Dulgarian
Ben Fox has a decade of experience in sports betting analysis, including previous roles at ESPN and the Athletic. The UFC betting scandal showed classic signs of betting corruption: heavy, one-sided wager flow on the underdog winning in a specific manner (first-round submission). Several accounts placing large bets were new or previously dormant, which triggered alarm bells. Sportsbooks reacted by closing betting lines on the fight and issuing refunds on losing bets, indicating a perception of compromised integrity.
On fight day, Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360), the UFC’s official betting integrity monitoring partner since January 2023, issued an alert to its clients about abnormal wagering activity on the bout. Some sportsbooks immediately halted betting on the fight, while others kept their lines open and watched the odds continue to shift as money kept flowing toward del Valle. According to MMA journalist Harry Mac, the FBI notified the UFC of the abnormal action and line movement, giving the promotion hours to pull the fight from the card. The UFC chose to allow the bout to proceed.
When the fight took place, del Valle secured a rear-naked choke submission at 3:41 of the first round, exactly as the suspicious betting patterns had predicted. What made the finish particularly questionable was Dulgarian’s performance. UFC analyst Michael Chiesa delivered a scathing assessment during the ESPN post-fight broadcast, calling it an “F-minus performance” and “absolute trash.” Chiesa noted that Dulgarian failed to execute basic defensive grappling techniques, describing mistakes that would be unexpected from a UFC-level fighter with established wrestling credentials.
Caesars Sportsbook, William Hill, and DraftKings all announced they would refund bets on Dulgarian, an unusual move that signaled serious integrity concerns. The Nevada State Athletic Commission withheld Dulgarian’s entire fight purse pending investigation, with no timeline for when or if it will be released. By Sunday, November 2, the UFC released Dulgarian from his contract.
The UFC issued a statement addressing the controversy: “Like many professional sports organizations, UFC works with an independent betting integrity service to monitor wagering activity on our events. Our betting integrity partner, IC360, monitors wagering on every UFC event and is conducting a thorough review of the facts surrounding the Dulgarian vs. del Valle bout on Saturday, November 1. We take these allegations very seriously, and along with the health and safety of our fighters, nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport.”
James Krause
The Dulgarian case has parallels to a 2022 UFC betting scandal involving coach James Krause and fighter Darrick Minner. In November 2022, abnormal betting activity preceded Minner’s first-round TKO loss to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke at UFC Vegas 64. Minner had failed to disclose a serious knee injury on his pre-fight medical paperwork, and someone with knowledge of that injury appeared to have shared the information with bettors who wagered heavily on a first-round finish.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended both Minner and Krause, and the UFC banned fighters from training with Krause. Dulgarian previously trained under Krause at Glory MMA & Fitness before relocating to Factory X in Colorado.
In March 2025, the Nevada Athletic Commission finalized suspensions for Minner (29 months) and teammate Jeff Molina (36 months) for their roles in the Krause betting scandal. Krause himself has not been criminally charged despite an ongoing federal investigation, though he remains suspended by Nevada and blacklisted from coaching UFC fighters.
ESPN reported that Krause operated a betting advice service called “The 1% Club” with approximately 2,000 subscribers, some paying up to $2,000 monthly, and openly stated he bet on UFC fights, including those involving fighters he trained.
FBI
Harry Mac, an MMA journalist who has previously broken news for ESPN, made explosive allegations on social media following UFC Vegas 110. Mac claimed that federal regulators have flagged over 100 UFC fights in 2025 for abnormal betting patterns, including two additional fights on the same UFC Vegas 110 card. He also alleged that federal authorities are moving to audit fights refereed by Jason Herzog, though these claims remain unconfirmed by official sources.
Sports Betting Scandals
The timing of the UFC betting concerns is particularly significant given the parallel scandal that has rocked the NBA. On October 23, 2025, the FBI announced the arrest of 34 individuals, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, following investigations into organized crime-linked gambling schemes. Federal prosecutors alleged Rozier provided confidential information about injuries and game plans to associates who placed substantial wagers on NBA games.
In one March 2023 game, Rozier allegedly informed associates he planned to exit early due to a foot injury, and members of the group placed over $200,000 in bets on his “under” performance stats before he left after just nine minutes. Billups faced separate charges related to illegal poker operations backed by La Cosa Nostra mafia families, involving rigged equipment including X-ray card readers and marked decks.
FBI Director Kash Patel, described as a significant MMA fan, characterized the NBA scheme as “mind-boggling” and “the insider-trading saga for the NBA.” MMA journalist Ariel Helwani noted that Patel’s interest in combat sports might draw additional scrutiny to UFC betting irregularities.
Fighters Paid to Throw Fights
On his November 4 show, Helwani discussed reports that multiple lower-level UFC fighters have been approached with offers to intentionally lose fights for money. Helwani compared the situation to the 2019 incident when boxing promoter Eddie Hearn canceled a fight between Aqib Fiaz and Kane Baker hours before the event due to alleged betting irregularities. Helwani stated:
“This is a massive issue for the UFC. And when you consider the questionable refereeing as of late, you can’t help but let your mind go there as well, because there’s no other possible explanation for some of the wacky stuff we’ve seen lately. I believe people are preying on lower-level fighters who don’t make a lot of money, who are in tough spots, and they’re offering them a quick fix.”
The structural vulnerabilities in MMA make the sport particularly susceptible to manipulation. Unlike team sports, an individual fighter has complete control over the outcome. Many UFC fighters, particularly those on the undercard, earn modest purses that pale in comparison to mainstream athletes. Dulgarian, for instance, had recently had a child and was reportedly living in a trailer despite competing in the UFC. This financial pressure creates scenarios where a fighter might be tempted by offers to throw a fight or share insider information about injuries or preparation issues.
IC360
The UFC partnered with U.S. Integrity (now operating as IC360) in January 2023 to monitor wagering activity across all UFC events. The partnership came after the Krause scandal prompted the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to suspend UFC betting in December 2022, forcing the promotion to enhance its integrity policies. The UFC strengthened its Athlete Conduct Policy to explicitly prohibit athletes, coaches, managers, handlers, and other insiders from placing any wagers on UFC matches. Violations can result in disciplinary action against fighters and permanent bans for affiliated personnel.
IC360 utilizes proprietary technology to monitor dozens of data sets and identify irregular wagering patterns across regulated sportsbooks. When anomalies are detected, the firm issues alerts to clients, including the UFC, state athletic commissions, and sportsbooks themselves. This system flagged the Dulgarian-del Valle fight, yet the UFC proceeded with the bout despite having hours to cancel it.
Gambling Markets and the UFC
The promotion has aggressively embraced sports betting since legalization accelerated across the United States following the 2018 Supreme Court decision that struck down the federal ban. UFC broadcasts now prominently display betting odds during fighter introductions, and commentators regularly discuss prop bets during events. The organization maintains partnerships with multiple betting operators, including a historic 2021 exclusive agreement with DraftKings for the U.S. and Canada, later supplemented by regional deals with operators like NetBet in Europe.
This financial entanglement with the gambling industry creates inherent tensions. While betting partnerships generate significant revenue for the UFC, they also increase the stakes when integrity issues arise. The decision to allow the Dulgarian-del Valle fight to proceed despite FBI warnings raises questions about whether commercial considerations influenced the promotion’s judgment. If bettors lose confidence in the legitimacy of outcomes, the entire ecosystem collapses.
If Harry Mac’s unconfirmed allegations about over 100 flagged fights prove accurate, the scope of the problem extends far beyond a single incident. The sport that has worked for decades to achieve mainstream legitimacy and acceptance could face the kind of existential crisis that erodes fan trust and regulatory support. The ongoing federal investigations, coupled with the parallel NBA scandal, suggest that law enforcement is taking sports betting corruption seriously across multiple leagues.
For fighters like Dulgarian, his UFC career ended abruptly after just four fights in the promotion, finishing with a 2-2 record. He leaves the organization without his fight purse, facing potential criminal investigation, and with his reputation in tatters. Whether he participated in manipulation or was simply the victim of circumstances remains unknown, but the association with the scandal will follow him regardless of the investigation’s outcome.
