The UFC faces mounting scrutiny following a suspicious betting situation at UFC Vegas 110, the place featherweight Isaac Dulgarian submitted to Yadier del Valle within the first spherical on November 1, 2025. The incident triggered federal investigation and prompted a number of fighters to publicly declare they’d obtained presents to throw fights, solely to retract these statements inside hours, leaving observers unsure concerning the distinction between candor and comedy in a company now below FBI examination.
UFC Betting Scandal
The betting irregularities began roughly three hours before the bout. Dulgarian entered the fight as a -240 favorite, but IC360, the UFC’s betting integrity partner, identified substantial wagers placed on del Valle to secure a first-round victory. The odds shifted dramatically, with Dulgarian’s moneyline dropping to approximately -130 as sportsbooks suspended betting on the event entirely. Hours after Dulgarian’s submission loss at the 3:41 mark, both Caesars Sportsbook and William Hill announced they would issue refunds to bettors who had wagered on Dulgarian to win.
Dana White confirmed the UFC obtained the betting alert at roughly 1 p.m. on combat day. The group instantly contacted Dulgarian and his authorized illustration, questioning whether or not he was injured, indebted to 3rd events, or had been approached about combat manipulation. Dulgarian denied all inquiries and instructed UFC officers he meant to defeat del Valle convincingly. Regardless of this assurance, White contacted the FBI instantly following the first-round end, initiating what has turn out to be the promotion’s second main fight-fixing investigation inside three years.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission withheld Dulgarian‘s whole combat purse pending investigation, whereas the UFC launched him from his contract on November 2. The choice mirrored considerations past Dulgarian’s efficiency high quality. Michael Chiesa, offering evaluation for the printed, described the featherweight’s displaying as an “F- efficiency” and “absolute trash,” noting his obvious passivity throughout the submission sequence.
The situation drew comparisons to a 2022 incident involving featherweight Darrick Minner, whose coach James Krause became embroiled in betting conspiracy allegations after Minner submitted to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke in 67 seconds under similarly suspicious betting circumstances. That investigation remains active and will now be incorporated into the current inquiry.
UFC Fighters Say They Have Been Offered Money to Lose
Momentum from the Dulgarian betting scandal accelerated by way of Monday, November 3, as a number of UFC athletes surfaced with accounts of receiving monetary incentives to deliberately lose fights. Vince Morales, an 11-fight UFC veteran, posted on social media that he had been provided $70,000 to throw certainly one of his bouts throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The bantamweight described the proposition as occurring throughout combat week on the UFC Apex facility and claimed he didn’t take the supply critically on the time.
Lando Vannata, a 13-fight featherweight, stated he had been approached seven times to throw fights, adding that his record reflected his integrity.
Meanwhile, Vanessa Demopoulos, a strawweight competitor with ten UFC appearances, commented on social media that people had approached her regarding fight manipulation, emphasizing her commitment to the sport’s principles.
Within hours of these statements, the narrative shifted. Morales deleted his posts and replied with a new message: “Okay well sorry about all that terrible timing for what I thought was a good joke. Poor taste. This shit so grimy.” Vannata received legal guidance cautioning against discussing the subject matter humorously, subsequently clarifying that he had never been approached about throwing a fight. Demopoulos set her Instagram account to private and retracted her statements, removing the posts entirely.
Dana White Responds
The rapid reversal raises substantive questions about the initial claims. Whether these represented genuine revelations treated as humor or merely ill-timed jokes amplified by genuine scandal remains contested. Dana White addressed the discrepancies directly during his response to the controversy. The UFC president characterized fighters’ claims of receiving approach offers as suspect, noting that if genuinely contacted about illegal arrangements, reporting to law enforcement should occur immediately rather than months or years later.
“It’s like if somebody tells you to rob a bank with them. What, you’re not gonna tell law enforcement? It’s really weird that fighters are coming out and saying they were approached. They’re gonna be approached now by the FBI,” White stated.
Morales, Vannata, and Demopoulos were joking, or were they?
