The UFC has come beneath elevated scrutiny following a suspicious playing situation that resulted in featherweight Isaac Dalgaryan bowing out to Yadier Del Valle within the first spherical at UFC Vegas 110 on November 1, 2025. The incident sparked a federal investigation, with a number of gamers publicly claiming they’d been provided fights however recanting their statements inside hours, leaving observers unsure concerning the distinction between candor and comedy in a company now beneath FBI jurisdiction. inspection.
UFC playing scandal
The betting fraud started about three hours earlier than the match. Dalgaryan entered the struggle because the -240 favourite, however IC360, the UFC’s betting integrity companion, confirmed that a big guess was positioned on Del Valle to safe a first-round victory. With sportsbooks fully suspending bets on this occasion, the percentages have modified dramatically, with Dalgarian’s cash line dropping to round -130. Hours after Dalgarian misplaced by submission in 3 minutes, 41 seconds, each Caesars Sportsbook and William Hill introduced they’d refund bettors who guess Dalgarian to win.
Dana White confirmed that the UFC acquired a betting alert round 1 p.m. on the day of the struggle. The group instantly contacted Mr. Dalgarian and his authorized consultant to ask if he had been injured, owed cash to a 3rd get together, or had any contact concerning match manipulation. Dalgaryan denied all investigations and advised UFC officers he meant to defeat Del Valle convincingly. Regardless of this assurance, White contacted the FBI shortly after the primary spherical, launching the promotion’s second main match-fixing investigation in three years.
The Nevada State Athletic Fee withheld Dalgarian’s full struggle funding pending an investigation, whereas the UFC launched him from his contract on Nov. 2. This resolution mirrored considerations past the standard of Dalgarian’s efficiency. Michael Chiesa, who offered evaluation for the published, described the featherweight’s efficiency as an “F-performance” and “utter rubbish”, noting his obvious reluctance throughout the submission sequence.
The state of affairs has drawn comparisons to a 2022 incident involving featherweight Darick Miner. Minor’s coach, James Krause, was embroiled in playing conspiracy allegations after the Minor capitulated to Shaylan Nueldambique in 67 seconds beneath equally questionable betting circumstances. This analysis is at the moment ongoing and shall be integrated into the present investigation sooner or later.
UFC fighters say they had been provided losses
The Dalgarian playing scandal continued to achieve momentum on Monday, November 3, when testimony surfaced that a number of UFC athletes deliberately misplaced matches and acquired monetary incentives. Vince Morales, an 11-fight veteran within the UFC, posted on social media that he was provided $70,000 to struggle one struggle throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The bantamweight defined that the proposal occurred throughout struggle week on the UFC Apex facility and claimed that he didn’t take the proposal severely on the time.
Lando Vannata, who fought 13 occasions at featherweight, stated he was approached for seven fights, including that his report displays his integrity.
In the meantime, Vanessa Demopoulos, a 10-time UFC strawweight, commented on social media that folks have approached her concerning match manipulation, highlighting her dedication to the ideas of the game.
Inside hours of these statements, the narrative modified. Morales deleted his publish and replied with a brand new message: “Okay, sorry for the horrible timing of what I believed was a great joke. Unhealthy style. That is so soiled.” Vannata acquired authorized steerage warning him to not talk about the topic in a humorous method, and has since clarified that he has by no means been approached for a struggle. Demopoulos set her Instagram account to non-public, retracted her feedback, and completely deleted her posts.
Dana White solutions
This speedy reversal raises substantial doubts concerning the unique claims. There may be nonetheless debate as as to if these symbolize real revelations handled as humor or just ill-timed jokes amplified by real scandals. Dana White addressed this contradiction instantly in his response to the controversy. The UFC president characterised a fighter’s declare that he acquired a suggestion as suspect, noting that if a fighter is certainly contacted about an unlawful association, a report back to legislation enforcement ought to occur instantly, not months or years later.
“It is like somebody advised you to rob a financial institution with them. What, why do not you inform legislation enforcement? It is actually bizarre that the militants come out and say they’re being approached. They will be approached by the FBI now,” White stated.
Had been Morales, Vannata and Demopoulos kidding, or had been they kidding?
