The UFC is in the course of a significant 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 through first-round submission in a bout that might have flown properly beneath the radar have been it not for suspicious betting exercise forward of the struggle that triggered a stir on social media. Dulgarian was listed as a heavy favourite all through struggle week, however the betting traces 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 saying they’re “conducting an intensive overview of the info surrounding the Dulgarian vs. del Valle bout.” Presumably, the overview would contain wanting into whether or not Dulgarian knowingly fought with a major harm and if that info was leaked to particular bettors or if he deliberately took a dive, amongst different prospects.
Amid the excitement rising round this potential scandal, a number of UFC fighters have confirmed through social media feedback that provides have been made to them previously to throw fights.
In a pair of since-deleted tweets, Vince Morales wrote, “All this throwing the struggle stuff is loopy!” earlier than noting he had “been approached” to lose a struggle on goal and later replying to a Twitter consumer that the provide was for $70,000.
Nonetheless, 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 file 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 file 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 struggle 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 in contrast to Morales and Vannata, questioning why nobody ever requested him to repair a struggle.
“Right here I used to be ruining individuals’s parlays without cost,” Pauga wrote on Twitter.
Vanessa Demopoulos additionally weighed in through a social media remark, writing, “Folks 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 consider 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 stated publicly as simply ‘jokes’ when there was no try at humor, nothing humorous was stated, and nobody laughed,” Lawlor wrote on Twitter.
