Suspicious pre-match betting prompts UFC to issue statement

This past Saturday, after Minner seemed to damage his leg with a left kick, Nuerdanbieke halted the fight by first-round technical knockout. In four UFC bouts, this was Nuerdanbieke’s first knockout.

The betting lines for the featherweight fight, which had been quite stable for weeks, suddenly swung wildly only hours before the fight, raising questions. Odds for Nuerdanbieke soared from -220 to -420 as news of a possible Minner injury spread. Bets poured in heavily on a first-round TKO victory for Nuerdanbieke, which raised eyebrows at the bookmakers because it was so out of the ordinary for such a low-level contest.

The UFC has promised ESPN that it would consult its own betting integrity firm before making any further decisions.

“Like many professional sports organizations, UFC works with an independent betting integrity service to monitor wagering activity on our events,” the UFC’s statement read.

“Our betting integrity partner, Don Best Sports, a leading global supplier of real-time betting data for North American sporting events, will conduct a thorough review of the facts and report its findings. At this time, we have no reason to believe either of the athletes involved in the bout, or anyone associated with their teams, behaved in an unethical or irresponsible manner.”

The UFC’s announcement last month that competitors and their teams could no longer bet on fights preceded the current issue by a month. This regulation is part of the UFC’s code of conduct for athletes.