UFC Betting Banned?! Why Some Sportsbooks Halt UFC Wagering
Online Sports Betting Turmoil Courtesy of One Particular Fighter
UFC Betting Scandalized By Ex-UFC Fighter Turned Tout
Is UFC betting banned? In Canada, a pair of provinces have already removed the promotion from the online sportsbooks. One has since rescinded that decision. Meanwhile, American sportsbooks, namely in New Jersey, have specifically targeted an individual from the UFC, former fighter James Krause.
He was pulled from coaching on UFC Vegas 65 a month ago (November 19). Then, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement barred the state’s local books from taking any wagers on fights involving him. This includes being “a coach, trainer, promoter or fighter” as David Payne Purdum, ESPN’s gambling insider, reported.
And just last week, the UFC followed suit by dropping the ban hammer on Krause while also cutting fighter Darrick Minner. Per a report from Purdum and ESPN MMA insider Marc Raimondi, the UFC barred Krause from participating in any UFC events while he is under investigation. The UFC also noted that fighters who choose to be involved with Krause will face the same consequences.
So Who is Krause and What Did He Do?
Krause is a former UFC fighter who actively competed from 2013 to 2020. He compiled a 9-4-0 record fighting the likes of Jorge Masvidal and Bobby Green. He last fought and defeated Claudio Silva but announced his retirement in 2022 after two years of inactivity. Since then, Krause has made a name for himself as both a coach and a tout.
The Missouri native had coached some of the best UFC fighters from Glory MMA and Fitness gym. This includes fighters like UFC interim flyweight champion Brandon Moreno and former title challenger Megan Anderson.
Additionally, Krause moonlights as an expert who not only places UFC bets but also sells picks. All of this became even more known during an episode of The MMA Hour with noted MMA journalist, Ariel Helwani where Krause claimed he was making good coin off his “side gigs”.
“I make more gambling on MMA than I do anything else,”
He also added that he bets “every single card [and] just about every fight.” Krause told Helwani.
Now, the UFC has not stipulated explicitly that their fighters cannot bet on fights. In fact, several fighters openly post about their bets online while some like Justin Jaynes, bet on themselves (ala Floyd Mayweather Jr.). So an MMA fighter betting on fights is nothing new. However, a particular fight is what got Krause and the aforementioned Minner in trouble.
The Minner-Nuerdanbieke Fight: Where it Started
On November 5, during the Vegas 64 undercard, Minner fought and lost to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke in the first round. What made this result more suspicious is how large amounts of folks betting on UFC fights moved the line. According to TSN’s MMA reporter, Aaron Bronsteter, at around 6:38 p.m. ET, the average line for Shayilan Nuerdanbieke jumped from -237 to -362. This all happened within a 90-minute span.
Subsequently, Nuerdanbieke TKO’d Minner in just over a minute as the latter hurt his leg. This brought plenty of questions from the media, which Dana White addressed in a post-fight interview. However, White stated there was no explicit proof that anyone from the UFC was involved in anything corrupt.
“There were some signs out there that something was wrong, but there’s absolutely no proof that [anybody] did anything wrong,” White told reporters.
This did not stop the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) from suspending Krause’s license a few days later on November 18. And as mentioned earlier, New Jersey’s Gaming Commission had UFC betting banned in any fights involving Krause.
Other smaller promotions have also followed suit. The Fighting Alliance Championship (FAC) this Friday has barred Krause from attending or cornering any fighters. This includes Gauge Young, Alexa Culp, and former UFC fighter Gina Mazany.
What Comes Next?
This story is still developing as of the publication of this article. In the meantime, UFC betting isn’t suspended in the States and only in the Canadian province of Ontario. However, while Krause is being investigated, the repercussions will be most felt by those closest to him.
Minner lost his job. Moreno has a championship fight scheduled this January, and with Krause potentially away from his corner, it could impact his fight with Deiveson Figueiredo. The latter’s betting line has been steamed, likely as a reaction from bettors to this news. Other fighters may have had to switch training camps, some moving cities.
Also, depending on the investigation’s results, the UFC could take a black eye off this. It may become more difficult for both sportsbooks and bettors to trust the promotions’ ability to prevent fight-fixing or “insiders” from collaborating to beat the books.
The UFC put its foot down by exiling Krause and comminating his associates even without damning evidence of foul play. Either way, the next few months will be scrutinized as everyone awaits more news to follow.
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