UFC called the FBI after suspected betting scandal with a rigged fight
UFC investigates "unusual betting activity" over a fight that had a surprise result.
UFC president Dana White said they called FBI over suspected betting scheme during an MMA fight in Las Vegas on November 1, UFC Fight Night 263, between Yadier del Valle and Isaac Dulgarian. The fight ended in 3:42 minutes after round 1, with the more experienced Dulgarian being surprisingly defeated by underdog Yadier del Valle via submission (rear-naked choke).
Two days after the event, UFC released Dulgarian, as they found "unusual betting activity" only hours before his match, when BestFightOdds.com showed that bets on Dulgarian as favourite suddenly dropped from -250 to -154.
"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", said UFC in a statement. "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".
Talking to TMZ (via BBC), UFC president Dana White said that they called the FBI after being alerted by IC360 on the large number of bets placed on the fight, suspecting it was a rigged fight. White told that they directly asked Dulgarian and his lawyer about the "weird betting action going on in your fight", and Dulgarian denied that he "owed money" or he was injured, showing resentment after his fight ("I'm going to kill this guy", he said).
Many pundits have observed how Dulgarian "performed poorly and showed questionable defence", which increases the suspicions that Dulgarian rigged his own defeat to earn money on bets.
