UFC fight subject of probe after suspicious betting

The UFC combat connected Saturday betwixt Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke, which ended abruptly successful the archetypal round, is being investigated by a U.S.-based betting integrity steadfast aft respective sportsbooks successful aggregate states reported suspicious wagering connected the featherweight bout.

The likelihood connected Neurdanbieke defeating underdog Minner moved dramatically successful the hours starring up to their UFC Fight Night matchup successful Las Vegas. Bettors were convinced that not lone would Neurdanbieke win, but helium would bash truthful successful the archetypal round. Money poured successful connected the favourite to triumph by knockout successful the archetypal circular and for the combat to past less than 2.5 rounds, prompting immoderate sportsbooks to instrumentality the combat disconnected the board, according to an investigation conducted by U.S. Integrity, a Las Vegas-based steadfast that works with sportsbooks and authorities gaming regulators to show the betting market, a transcript of which was obtained by ESPN.

On Saturday, with rumors circulating among bettors that Minner was injured, Neurdanbieke's likelihood to triumph moved from -220 to -420 successful the 4 hours earlier the fight. Just 30 seconds into the fight, Minner threw a near footwear to Neurdanbieke's assemblage and instantly grimaced and reached for his near leg. Neurdanbieke closed successful and Minner went for different near assemblage footwear earlier Neurdanbieke dropped Minner with a genu to the caput and finished connected the crushed with elbows. The TKO stoppage came astatine 1:07 of the archetypal round.

It was Neurdanbieke's archetypal decorativeness successful the UFC successful 4 fights with the promotion. Minner, a 10-year MMA veteran, has present mislaid 3 consecutive and 4 of six UFC fights.

As sportsbooks grew suspicious of the antithetic betting starring up to the fight, they contacted U.S. Integrity, which successful crook conducted a thorough investigation and alerted authorities gaming regulators and different sportsbook clients to the concern astir 3 hours earlier the combat began astatine 8 p.m. ET. The betting didn't stop, according to the analysis, adjacent aft the likelihood moved to importantly less-attractive prices. The relentless betting connected the worse likelihood lone accrued suspicions among immoderate bookmakers and U.S. Integrity.

Matthew Holt, president of U.S. Integrity, said the institution cannot uncover immoderate details of an ongoing investigation.

"Our extremity arsenic ever is to notify the manufacture of immoderate imaginable nefarious, abnormal oregon suspicious enactment arsenic soon arsenic possible, truthful they tin instrumentality enactment arsenic rapidly arsenic possible," Holt told ESPN. "In this case, we anticipation that by sending a mates hours earlier the combat started, we whitethorn person helped forestall immoderate much suspicious bets from getting through."

U.S. Integrity does not person immoderate enforcement power, which means immoderate effect to the firm's probe would person to travel from regulators oregon different authorities.

An ESPN petition for remark from the UFC was not instantly returned Sunday.

When reached Sunday by substance message, Minner's manager, Andrew Lee of Disorderly Conduct Management, wrote that helium was "unaware of thing similar this," but did not supply immoderate further clarity connected the situation.

Minner is coached by James Krause, a retired combatant and known sports bettor, who hosts the 1% Club podcast and a fashionable Discord transmission that features his betting tips. Krause did not respond to a petition for remark Sunday from ESPN.

On Oct. 17, UFC announced that fighters and their teams were prohibited from wagering connected UFC fights. In a memo, UFC main concern serviceman Hunter Campbell wrote that the edict came "in airy of wide absorption that we person received from regulators liable for the regulated sports betting manufacture successful the United States." He noted successful the memo that successful immoderate states it is amerciable for fighters and teams to stake connected events with which they are affiliated.

"As the athletics has grown implicit time, the overwhelming bulk of states that modulate sports gambling person immoderate prohibitions connected wrong betting activity," Campbell told ESPN astatine the time. "And this wasn't thing the UFC precocious independently. This was thing the UFC acceptable distant successful effect from governmental agencies, alert we are besides taxable to governmental regularisation arsenic we're licensed promoters successful virtually each state. It's the earthy improvement of the sport."

Bookmakers and bettors who communicated with ESPN had differing opinions connected what took spot Saturday. Some were convinced that Minner threw the fight, portion others believed the bets were based connected leaked accusation that Minner was wounded severely and shouldn't person been fighting.

A root acquainted with Minner's campy said his near genu was "absolutely injured going into the fight."

Joey Odessa, a longtime, respected MMA oddsmaker, noticed the flurry of involvement connected the combat and was alert of the alerts being sent retired to sportsbooks.

"Doesn't mean a hole was in," Odessa told ESPN successful a societal media message, "but alternatively idiosyncratic decidedly knew something."