The UFC is in the midst of a serious playing controversy and now a number of fighters have spoken as much as seemingly legitimize the difficulty.
This previous Saturday at UFC Vegas 110, Yadier del Valle defeated Isaac Dulgarian by way of first-round submission in a bout that may have flown properly underneath the radar had been it not for suspicious betting exercise forward of the combat that triggered a stir on social media. Dulgarian was listed as a heavy favourite all through combat week, however the betting strains narrowed dramatically within the hours earlier than the competition. When Dulgarian was swiftly submitted, the web fervor solely grew, and the controversy was substantiated by main sports activities books providing compensation to bettors who backed Dulgarian.
Lower than 48 hours later, Dulgarian was launched and the UFC has since launched a press release asserting they’re “conducting an intensive assessment of the info surrounding the Dulgarian vs. del Valle bout.” Presumably, the assessment would contain trying into whether or not Dulgarian knowingly fought with a big harm and if that info was leaked to particular bettors or if he deliberately took a dive, amongst different prospects.
Amid the thrill rising round this potential scandal, a number of UFC fighters have confirmed by way of social media feedback that provides had been made to them previously to throw fights.
In a pair of since-deleted tweets, Vince Morales wrote, “All this throwing the combat stuff is loopy!” earlier than noting he had “been approached” to lose a combat on objective and later replying to a Twitter consumer that the provide was for $70,000.
Nevertheless, Morales later retracted his assertion and apologized, claiming it was merely a joke made in “poor style.”
One other UFC veteran, Lando Vannata seemingly revealed he had been requested to take a dive seven occasions, writing that “my report displays my integrity.”
Like Morales, Vannata additionally later retracted his assertion claiming he was joking, with the quantity seven reflecting the variety of losses in his UFC profession (his report with the promotion is 4-7-2). Vannata wrote on Instagram Tales, “To be clear, I’ve by no means been approached about throwing a combat nor anybody I do know. As a result of I’m not a ho and would by no means disrespect the martial arts for cash.”
Former UFC fighter Zac Pauga commented on the state of affairs, clearly joking from the onset not like Morales and Vannata, questioning why nobody ever requested him to repair a combat.
“Right here I used to be ruining individuals’s parlays free of charge,” Pauga wrote on Twitter.
Vanessa Demopoulos additionally weighed in by way of a social media remark, writing, “Individuals have approached me to throw fights additionally. My integrity may by no means. We’ve spent our lives studying expertise and honoring this sport. Can’t imagine individuals would compromise their morals like this.”
Former UFC fighter Tom Lawlor was not impressed by his friends’ try at humor.
“A number of fighters additionally now strolling again what they mentioned publicly as simply ‘jokes’ when there was no try at humor, nothing humorous was mentioned, and nobody laughed,” Lawlor wrote on Twitter.
