The fight game suffered from sports fixing and gambling issues long before basketball, football, or any other sport, and it seems it still might.
The UFC cut Isaac Dulgarian from its roster of fighters on Monday, after a flurry of irregular gambling activity before his bout on Saturday, a fight which left ringside announcers bewildered.
Dulgarian (7-2), a -250 favorite before he clashed with Yadier del Valle at Fight Night from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, moved to -154 an hour before the fight’s scheduled start time. While it’s not unusual to see some movement in the odds before a fight—even within an hour of the opening bell—it is highly unusual to see the odds shift that dramatically.
Several sportsbooks immediately noticed the irregular activity and shut down betting. The fight itself did nothing to calm suspicions among gamblers or ringside analysts.
Dulgarian lost by submission in the first round in a fashion that former UFC champ Daniel Cormier called “white belt stuff.”
In addition to cutting Dulgarian, the UFC has launched an investigation into the incident.
“Like many professional sports organizations, UFC works with an independent betting integrity service to monitor wagering activity on our events,” the UFC said in a statement to the New York Post. “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.”
Dulgarian himself has been outspoken on the issue of gambling, claiming he believes he should receive a “percentage” of the money wagered on him.
“I said, ‘Don’t bet on me unless you’re paying me some percentage,’ I’m doing all the work — that’s how I feel about it,” he said. “…If you’re betting on me, I want some of it.”
To right the alleged wrong, Caesars Sportsbook is refunding customers who lost money on the Dulgarian fight.
“Mobile customers with losing bets on the Dulgarian UFC fight will receive a cash credit within 24 hours (singles), or within 24 hours of the last leg being determined (Parlay/SGP/Super Parlay) should that bet have won without that leg included,” the sportsbook posted on X.
The fight fixing allegations come just over a week after two separate but related FBI investigations into sports fixing and rigged poker games involving current and former athletes resulted in the arrests of 31 individuals nationwide. Among those facing charges are Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, and former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Damon Jones.
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