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Tag: Isaac Dulgarian

  • Two Other UFC Vegas 110 Names Alleged To Be Flagged By FBI

    Two Other UFC Vegas 110 Names Alleged To Be Flagged By FBI

    Harry Mac, who has worked as both an MMA journalist and a New York-based promoter, has been the center reporting figure for the betting scandal that has engulfed the UFC and the MMA community over the past several days.

    Mac has claimed that over 100 UFC fights have been flagged by the FBI for suspicious betting activity. At the center of it all has been the Isaac Dulgarian first-round submission loss to Yadier Del Valle — which later resulted in Dulgarian’s release from the UFC and a number of fighters coming forward about being offered to throw fights.

    Mac’s original post on X (fka Twitter) on the situation mentioned that there were two other fighters from UFC Vegas 110 whose fights were flagged, though he did not name those athletes.

    However, on a recent episode of the Empty the Bench Network’s The MMA Outsiders podcast with Jack Gold and Zain Bando (and featured MMA News’ own Thomas Albano as a guest co-host), Mac alleged that UFC Vegas 110 headliner David Onama and Daniel Frunza as the other fighters he was making mention to.

    “In my original post, I had mentioned that there were two additional fighters on [UFC Vegas 110] flagged for abnormal betting activity,” Mac said. “Onama was one of them.”

    Mac then added “Frunza” when asked who the third fighter was.

    Harry Mac Names David Onama, Daniel Frunza As UFC Vegas 110 Names Flagged Alongside Isaac Dulgarian

    Onama was involved in the main event of the evening, facing Steve Garcia in a battle of top-15 ranked featherweights. The fight saw little offense from Onama as Garcia overwhelmed and flurried him into a first-round finish.

    Fight fans across the MMA community on X called for an investigation into that finish following the reveal of the Dulgarian controversy and Mac’s original post.

    Frunza was also involved in the UFC Vegas 110 main card, losing via last-minute submission to Charles Radtke.

    During the interview, Mac noted that while the fights and fighters have been flagged, it does not necessarily mean that any wrongdoing was committed by them and/or their teams.

    “That could just be some guy has a hunch and plays a little bit more than he normally would,” Mac said.

    The MMA Outsiders’ Jack Gold also made mention of receiving a potential list from an unnamed source of 50 fights that could have potentially been part of the 100 flagged mentioned by Mac — with Garcia vs. Onama being one of those fights.

    Gold noted that a number of the fights on the list he received were refereed by Jason Herzog. One of Mac’s allegations is that enough fights Herzog has officiated have been deemed questionable enough that an audit may be issued on them.

    In a recent interview, UFC CEO and President Dana White dismissed Mac’s claim of over 100 fights being flagged; however, he issued stern warnings to fighters thinking about partaking in fixed fights and to those who only came forward about their offers recently.

  • ‘We Will Be Your Worst Enemy’ – Dana White Breaks Silence On Isaac Dulgarian Situation

    ‘We Will Be Your Worst Enemy’ – Dana White Breaks Silence On Isaac Dulgarian Situation

    After about three days of silence following UFC Vegas 110 and the snowballing controversy that has engulfed the MMA world, UFC CEO and President Dana White is breaking his silence in regard to the situation involving Isaac Dulgarian.

    Dulgarian was involved in a highly controversial fight with Yadier Del Valle, which saw Dulgarian, who was originally pegged as a massive favorite earlier in the fight week, fall victim to a first-round submission via rear-naked choke.

    As the fight time got closer, however, the line on Dulgarian being a favorite massively shrunk.

    In an interview with TMZ, White claimed the UFC were informed of the matter and confronted Dulgarian and his team.

    “Probably about 1:00 pm that day, we’re with a company called IC360, and they are the best bet monitoring company in the business, and they reached out to us and they told us that there was some unusual action going on with that fight,” White said. “Do we know anything? You know, we didn’t. So, what we did was we called the fighter and his lawyer and said, “What’s going on? There’s some weird action going on in your bet…”

    Dana White Gives His Side To Isaac Dulgarian Situation

    White says that Dulgarian and his team said they were ready to go for the fight and nothing suspicious was going on — this coincides with Ariel Helwani’s reporting on the situation.

    White says the promotion took action after the fight played out as it did.

    “Literally, the first thing we did was call the FBI,” White said, adding that he had two meetings with the FBI on November 4.

    White, however, took aim at the reporting of MMA journalist and New York-based promoter Harry Mac, who alleges that over 100 fights have been flagged for unusual betting patterns by the FBI.

    “Now, you see people out there talking, ‘Oh, there’s hundreds of fights under…’ – it’s total usual clickbait,” White said. “IC3, our company, they monitor all all of the betting. Like I said, they’re the best in the business. There aren’t hundreds of fights being investigated. all clickbait BS.

    “We’ve been with them for years and we get a report after every single fight that we do.”

    White added that he is in direct contact with FBI Director Kash Patel about the investigation. He added any fighter who has made comment about being offered to throw a fight — such as Vince Morales and Vanessa Demopoulos recently did on social media — will be contacted by the FBI for an interview.

    White ended with a strongly-worded message to his fighters.

    “If you try to do this, I have been very vocal and open about this; we will be your worst enemy,” White said. “We will immediately go after you, guns ablazing, with the FBI and whoever else we need to get. We will do everything we can to make sure you go to prison.”

  • Pair Of UFC Fighters Admit To Being Approached About Possibility Of Taking Dives

    Pair Of UFC Fighters Admit To Being Approached About Possibility Of Taking Dives

    UPDATE (Nov. 4): Vannata has backtracked his remarks, claiming he was joking. However, Edgar Chairez has now come forward about being approached to throw a fight as well.

    UPDATE: UFC veteran Lando Vannata has admitted to being approached seven times about the possibility of taking a dive.

    https://twitter.com/OnPointMMA/status/1985665473040826579

    Things continue to develop in rapidly quick fashion in the new UFC betting scandal, as two Octagon veterans have revealed that they have previously been approached about the possibility of throwing their fights.

    This coincides with Ariel Helwani’s report from earlier in the day on November 3, claiming on the recent edition of his show that a number of UFC fighters have been offered money to throw fights.

    In response to this report, Vince Morales, a UFC featherweight, confirmed on social media in a since-deleted post that he had been previously approached about taking a dive in at least one of his fights.

    Morales added that the offer had been $70,000 to throw the fight.

    “All this throwing the fight stuff is crazy!” Morales had posted. “I’ve been approached about doing it and it’s not something I could live with…even though I ended up losing the damn fight anyways.”

    UFC Fighters Vince Morales, Vanessa Demopoulos Admit To Being Approached Previously To Throw Fights

    This was followed up by another social media post from a fighter — this time UFC strawweight Vanessa Demopoulos.

    In an Instagram comment, Demopoulos mentioned that she also had been approached previously about purposing losing a previous fight.

    “My integrity could never,” Demopoulos said. “We’ve spent our lives learning skills and honoring this sport. Can’t believe people compromise their morels [sic] like this.”

    The UFC has found itself in the center of betting controversy following a suspicious fight that took place between Isaac Dulgarian and Yadier Del Valle during the main card of UFC Vegas 110 on November 1. The fight saw Del Valle easily take down Dulgarian and lock up a quick first-round submission victory.

    Dulgarian had entered the fight a massive favorite; however, the line of the fight shrunk dramatically in the hours leading up to the fight. Bets on Del Valle, especially those of the first-round finish variety, led to some sportsbooks closing bets on the fight — with some even offering refunds to bettors.

    MMA journalist and New York-based promoter Harry Mac alleged that the FBI made the UFC aware of the circumstances surrounding the fight, with Helwani claiming Dulgarian and his team convinced the UFC there was nothing the matter.

    Mac has also alleged that over 100 fights have been flagged by the FBI for suspicious line movements, and that a potential audit might be sought after fights refereed by Jason Herzog.

    Dulgarian was cut from the UFC about 24 hours following the controversial fight. His fight purse is also being withheld by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

  • NSAC Withholding Isaac Dulgarian’s UFC Vegas 110 Fight Purse

    NSAC Withholding Isaac Dulgarian’s UFC Vegas 110 Fight Purse

    The Nevada State Athletic Commission is withholding the entire fight purse of Isaac Dulgarian following his controversial bout with Yadier Del Valle at UFC Vegas 110.

    Ariel Helwani and Uncrowned were the first to report the matter.

    Per Helwani, an investigation by the commission is ongoing, and it’s unknown if or when Dulgarian will receive his fight purse.

    Isaac Dulgarian UFC Vegas 110 Purse Withheld, NSAC Investigating Fight

    Dulgarian was originally pegged as a heavy favorite for his fight with Del Valle. In the hours leading up to the fight, however, his line dropped massively from -250 to -166. A number of bets also came in on the first-round prop for Del Valle; both of these resulted in a number of sportsbooks pulling the fight from betting.

    Dulgarian was easily taken down and submitted in the first round.

    The aftermath of this fight has been monumental, from Dulgarian being released, to allegations of over 100 fights being flagged by the FBI, to reports of this circumstance not being an isolated incident.

  • “Not An Isolated Incident” – Ariel Helwani Alleges UFC Fighters Being Offered Money To Throw Fights, Harry Mac Teases New Information

    “Not An Isolated Incident” – Ariel Helwani Alleges UFC Fighters Being Offered Money To Throw Fights, Harry Mac Teases New Information

    After initial bombshell reports from Harry Mac, an MMA journalist and New York-based promoter, Ariel Helwani of Uncrowned acknowledged Mac’s reporting and added his own insight, knowledge, and details on the UFC’s betting controversy.

    In the hours following the much controversial Isaac Dulgarian vs. Yadier Del Valle fight at UFC Vegas 110 on November 1, Mac posted to social media with claims that the UFC was made aware by the FBI of the significant line movement that prompted several sportsbooks to close bets on the fight in the hours leading up to it. He claimed, however, that the UFC was willing to allow the fight to go on.

    On the November 3 edition of The Ariel Helwani Show, Helwani seemed to confirm his understanding is the same, alleging the UFC felt that, despite the line movement, the fight presented no danger of being fixed. In fact, in conversations with those close to Dulgarian, Helwani says they were just as shocked by the poor performance of Dulgarian in the fight.

    “UFC was made aware of this, and my understanding is there were conversations with Dulgarian and his team about this activity, and questioning him, ‘What is going on?’” Helwani said. “And, multiple times, he said that, according to my sources, that he was good to go. That there was nothing of this sort happening, and there was nothing to worry about, essentially.”

    Ariel Helwani Discusses Massive Issue UFC Is Facing Following UFC Vegas 110 Gambling Controversy

    Helwani added that he doesn’t believe the UFC had any involvement in the foul play of the odds; however, he feels their decision to not pull the fight after being notified of the line movement has led them to more controversy than they could have faced originally.

    Mac followed up his first claim by adding a bigger allegation — stating that over 100 fights in the UFC have been flagged for suspicious line movement.

    While Helwani did not confirm a number of fights, he did claim that this fight is “not an isolated incident” and alleges that more fighters have been offered to throw fights previously.

    “My understanding is this is on the FBI’s radar,” Helwani said. “How deep of an investigation is unclear at this time; this is all very new. But, yes, this is accurate.

    “My understanding is that this is not an isolated incident. And what I mean by that is I have talked to multiple people who have either experienced, or know of others who have experienced, situations where they have been approached about their willingness to do something like this…’Are you interested in throwing a fight for X amount of dollars?’

    Helwani followed up by comparing this incident to the Darrick Minner vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke fight from almost exactly three years ago — a fight that resulted in James Krause being exiled from the MMA community. Coincidentally, Dulgarian is a former trainee of Krause’s.

    Helwani claimed that this situation could get massive and sport a black eye not just in the UFC, but in the whole sport of MMA — exasperated by not only the simultaneous gambling scandal going on in the NBA, but also by a seemingly increased number of controversial referee and judging actions and decisions over this past year.

    “This is a massive issue for the UFC, and when you consider — now I haven’t been told this part I’m about to say — but when you consider the questionable refereeing as of late, you can’t help but let your mind go there as well,” Helwani said. “Because there is no other possible explanation for some of the wacky stuff we’ve seen as of late. And it’s easy to do.”

    On a related note, another one of Mac’s allegations is that an audit is being placed on fights refereed by Jason Herzog, sparking a bit of a back-and-forth beef on X (formerly Twitter) between the two.

    In the last couple of hours prior to press time, Mac is alleging new information that will worsen this story — potentially involving a notable MMA manager.

    While Helwani could not verify any more of Mac’s information, he gave his own opinion on the reason behind all this. Helwani theorizes fighters lower on the card and not making a lot of money are being offered “quick fixes” to get them needed cash.

    “I believe what is happening here is people are preying on lower-level fighters, who don’t make a lot of money, who are in tough spots, who are fighting in the major leagues, and they’re offering them a quick fix…” Helwani said. “How prevalent is this? I can’t tell you. But I’ve now heard it in multiple occasions in my conversations over the past 24+ hours.”

    Dulgarian was easily submitted by Del Valle — a fight that saw Dulgarian move from a -250 favorite to a -166 in only a few hours’ time, as well as large bets coming in on a prop bet of Del Valle via first-round finish. Some sportsbooks have since offered refunds to bettors due to the controversial nature of the fight.

    Dulgarian’s UFC tenure ended on November 2, released by the promotion just one day after the controversial fight. He went 3-2 in the Octagon.

    The UFC recently released a statement, claiming it is taking the allegations surrounding this fight very seriously.

  • UFC Releases Statement On Isaac Dulgarian Release

    UFC Releases Statement On Isaac Dulgarian Release

    Less than 24 hours following initial reports of their parting of ways with Isaac Dulgarian, the UFC has released a statement in regard to the controversy surrounding his fight with Yadier Del Valle at UFC Vegas 110.

    Dulgarian went into the fight a massive favorite; however, his odds shrunk in the hours leading up to the fight, which saw Dulgarian get submitted in the first round.

    In a statement, the UFC did not directly address Dulgarian’s release; however, it did note the seriousness of the allegations surrounding the fight.

    “Like many professional sports organizations, UFC works with an independent betting integrity service to monitor wagering activity on our events,” the statement read. “Our betting integrity partner, IC360, monitors wagering on every UFC event and is conducting a thorough review of the facts surrounding the Dulgarian vs. del Valle bout on Saturday, November 1. We take these allegations very seriously, and along with the health and safety of our fighters, nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport.”

    UFC Statement On Isaac Dulgarian vs. Yadier Del Valle, Dulgarian’s Release

    Dulgarian was released by the UFC on November 2, one day following his fight with Del Valle. The fight saw Dulgarian easily taken down and submitted within the first round — despite Dulgarian originally being pegged as a massive favorite and seemingly defending the fight-finishing choke for about a minute.

    Dulgarian was originally a -250 favorite, but his line fell to just -166 in a short span. Furthermore, a number of reports claim that prop bets for a first-round finish by Del Valle increased, which set off the red flags.

    Journalist and New York-based promoter Harry Mac reported that the FBI had informed the UFC of the potential violation and line movement, with Ariel Helwani confirming such a report. Helwani added that the UFC felt the fight was safe to continue.

    Helwani added that this was “not an isolated incident,” with Mac alleging the FBI flagging over 100 UFC fights with line movements deemed suspicious.

    Dulgarian also had previous connections to James Krause, who was blackballed from the MMA community almost exactly three years ago.

    Dulgarian went 3-2 in the UFC before his release.

  • Isaac Dulgarian Released By UFC After Loss In Controversial UFC Vegas 110 Bout Facing Fight Fixing Allegations

    Isaac Dulgarian Released By UFC After Loss In Controversial UFC Vegas 110 Bout Facing Fight Fixing Allegations

    Isaac Dulgarian, the losing fighter from a UFC Vegas 110 main card bout at the center of suspicious betting line movement, has reportedly been released from the UFC.

    Ariel Helwani of Uncrowned was the first to report the news on social media, citing unnamed sources.

    The promotion released Dulgarian on November 2, just one day following his loss to Yadier Del Valle. The fight was notable not only for the way that Dulgarian was dominated into a first-round submission loss, but also for how quickly his line as a favorite shrank in the hours leading up to the fight.

    The UFC has neither confirmed the release of Dulgarian, nor has it made any sort of statement in regard to the allegations surrounding the bout.

    Isaac Dulgarian Reportedly Released By UFC 24 Hours After UFC Vegas 110

    Dulgarian reportedly entered his fight with Del Valle as a -250 favorite, but the line managed to swing him down to just a -166 by the time of the fight. Furthermore, a lot of prop money was notably placed on a first-round finish for Del Valle, which was exactly what happened.

    Dulgarian was easily taken down, with Del Valle quickly getting to his back. Despite Dulgarian seemingly attempting to defend the choke for about a minute or so, he ended up tapping out.

    The line movement was so suspicious that several sportsbooks pulled the fight from bet availability — and at least a couple of sportsbooks offered refunds to those who placed bets on it.

    Journalist and New York-based promoter Harry Mac has alleged that the UFC was informed of the fight being flagged as suspicious with its betting lines, but reportedly allowed the fight to happen anyway.

    Though unconfirmed as of press time, Mac has further alleged that over 100 UFC fights this year have been flagged by the FBI for their unusual betting patterns, and that at a potential audit may involve several fights refereed by Jason Herzog.

    This betting controversy not only comes parallel to the NBA’s current betting scandal, but it also occurs nearly three years to the day of the Darrick Minner vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke bout that resulted in James Krause being forced out of MMA.

    It also comes almost exactly 10 years since Tae Hyun Bang’s controversial win over Leo Kuntz in South Korea — a fight that Bang had planned to throw before being warned by UFC officials about the unusual betting activity for that fight. Bang and three others would ultimately serve prison sentences.

  • Allegation: Over 100 UFC Fights Flagged By FBI, Potential Audit Sought For Fights Refereed By Jason Herzog

    Allegation: Over 100 UFC Fights Flagged By FBI, Potential Audit Sought For Fights Refereed By Jason Herzog

    An already underwhelming UFC Vegas 110 card has come under additional fire following fight fixing allegations surrounding the main card fight between Isaac Dulgarian and Yadier Del Valle. And now, if an allegation is true, things might be getting even more drastic.

    MMA journalist Harry Mac posted several allegations to X (formerly Twitter). One of these alleges that the FBI informed the UFC of the Dulgarian vs. Del Valle fight being flagged and closed to bets by sportsbooks; however, the UFC allowed the fight to go on.

    Additionally, Mac claims that over 100 additional fights, including another two from UFC Vegas 110, were supposedly flagged by the FBI due to unusual betting patterns. Moreover, Mac claims that there is a possibility that fights refereed by Jason Herzog are being sought after by federal officials for an audit.

    MMA Journalist Alleges More Than 100 UFC Fights Flagged By FBI

    It should be noted that none of Mac’s claims have been verified by other sources. However, several sportsbooks, including Caesars, William Hill, and DraftKings all provided refunds to bettors following the line movement and potential violation seen for the Dulgarian vs. Del Valle fight.

    Reports noted that Dulgarian entered the fight as a -250 favorite, but the odds shifted so much so that he was just a -166 in a short time. Additionally, a lot of money had been placed on the Del Valle via first-round finish prop bet.

    Del Valle completely dominated the fight, easily taking Dulgarian down before scoring a first-round submission. Dulgarian’s performance was criticized after the fight by several members of the MMA community.

    These allegations come nearly three years to the day of the infamous Darrick Minner vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke that resulted in James Krause being blackballed from MMA. It should be noted that Dulgarian has had a previous association with Krause, having previously trained at Glory MMA. The UFC subsequently also tightened gambling rules in the immediate aftermath, forbidding fighters, coaches, managers, and any affiliated members from betting on any UFC fight.

    The news also comes as the mainstream sports world is bearing witness to the NBA and its own gambling scandal.

  • Yadier Del Valle Scores First-Round Submission At UFC Vegas 110 As Potential Betting Controversy Raises Eyebrows

    Yadier Del Valle Scores First-Round Submission At UFC Vegas 110 As Potential Betting Controversy Raises Eyebrows

    Yadier Del Valle’s second UFC appearance was another highly successful one; however, it appears issues with the odds of the fight have set off red flags, overshadowing the UFC Vegas 110 performance.

    Del Valle came into the fight against Isaac Dulgarian as an underdog; however, the line jumped significantly in the hours leading up to the fight. It was so significant that multiple members of the MMA community reported that the fight was pulled from a number of sportsbooks.

    Del Valle was able to easily take Dulgarian down in the fight’s opening minute before making his way to the back. Despite Dulgarian’s efforts to hold on and his refusal to tap, Del Valle was able to come away with the first-round submission.

    That prop bet supposedly had significant money come in on it during the line movement.

    Betting Controversy In Yadier Del Valle First-Round Submission Win Over Isaac Dulgarian At UFC Vegas 110?

    https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1984776266965205443

    After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series last year, Del Valle made his UFC debut at UFC Vegas 106 in May, scoring a first-round submission of Connor Matthews.

    Dulgarian is now 2-2 in the UFC.