The UFC is currently being investigated by the FBI due to sketchy circumstances surrounding the featherweight bout between Isaac Dulgarian and Yadier del Valle at UFC Vegas 110 last weekend.
Coming into the fight, Dulgarian was seen as a heavy favorite to win. He is a crafty veteran taking on a young undefeated prospect in del Valle, the betting odds for Dulgarian took a massive shift before the fight began and an alarming amount of bets came in for the underdog del Valle, raising red flags that something might be going on behind the scenes.
Not only did the betting lines drastically change, but a suspicious amount of bets were also placed on del Valle to get a finish in the first round. Isaac Dulgarian is known to be a world class grappler and that was viewed as his path to victory in this fight.
However, as the fight began, Dulgarian shot for a double-leg takedown which del Valle stuffed. Following the botched takedown, Dulgarian immediately gave up his back to del Valle, who effortlessly locked in a rear-naked choke. Dulgarian then proceeded to show little to no effort to escape the submission and just accepted that he was going to tap out, which he eventually did with one minute remaining in the first round.
It is a head-scratching outcome that doesn’t add up. The better grappler of the two showed zero signs of trying to escape the submission attempts and was being controlled like he’d never grappled a day in his life. When you factor in the betting changes, the surge of bets coming in for a first-round finish by the underdog, and a pathetic effort from Dulgarian, it is no surprise that this has led to an investigation.
Especially with the recent crackdown in the NBA involving Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, who was tracked down and arrested by the FBI for throwing games during his time with the Charlotte Hornets in 2023, along with Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, who was allegedly involved in an illegal gambling ring with Mafia just a few weeks ago.
Since the announcement that an investigation was launched, a handful of other fighters have come out and stated that they have been approached in the past about throwing fights for large sums of money.
This is a major problem considering sports betting is heavily promoted by professional sports leagues and television outlets. UFC president Dana White has come out and said he is directly working with the FBI to get to the bottom of this, but it raises serious questions about how many fights in the past have been potentially rigged.