A period of suspicious betting activity led to the release of an athlete from the UFC and a round of refunds issued by a major sports betting operator.
According to a report from MMA veteran journalist Ariel Helwani, the UFC released Isaac Dulgarian after his loss on Saturday during UFC Vegas 110. Dulgarian entered the bout as a heavy favorite but was submitted in the first round at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas by Yadier del Valle. Less than two hours before the bout, heavy line movement was reported with Dulgarian moving from a -240 favorite to -160 at various sportsbooks. There was also significant line movement on first-round finish markets as a result of heavy wagering.
The line went from as high as +850 to +475 moments before the fight. As a result of the suspicious line movement, DraftKings reportedly pulled all markets for the fight.
DraftKings communicated to customers that there were “integrity concerns” surrounding the bout. The UFC has yet to release a statement on the matter and the organization’s latest version of its athlete code of conduct policy bans fighters and their teams from wagering on UFC events.
The UFC updated its policy in 2022 to align with responsible gaming standards.
Caesars issues refunds for suspicious UFC bout
Caesars and the William Hill gambling brand responded to the suspicious wagering by issuing refunds to online customers who had lost wagers on Dulgarian, including parlays.
Caesars Sportsbook operates in more than 20 U.S. markets, including Washington, D.C.
Nevada is the only U.S. market where the William Hill brand is used following Caesars $4 billion acquisition of William Hill in 2021. A year later, Caesars sold the British brand’s international operations to 888 Holdings in a deal valued at roughly $2.9 billion.
Caesars declined to comment to SBC Americas on the refunds it issued this weekend.
FBI reportedly looking into UFC fight
Helwani reports that the situation is on “the FBI’s radar” as it adds to recent gambling woes in combat and professional sports. Earlier this year, the Nevada Athletic Commission suspended former UFC fighters Jeff Molina and Darrick Minner. The suspensions were imposed after the commission completed an investigation into a gambling scheme.
The scheme drew the attention of monitoring service U.S. Integrity, which flagged suspicious wagering activity ahead of a UFC bout for Minner.
Molina placed a large wager on Minner’s fight after Minner failed to disclose an injury on the UFC’s pre-fight medical questionnaire. Molina knew of Minner’s injury, leading him to place the wager that was flagged. He would later admit to the illicit bet to the commission.
The UFC has since released both Molina and Minner.
Dulgarian joined the UFC in 2023 and compiled a 3-2 record during his time with the organization, including Saturday’s loss. His all-time pro MMA record stands at 7-2.
