US gambling regulators investigating UFC betting activity

Following UFC Fight Night 214 on November 5, US gambling regulators are looking into some suspicious betting patterns in the lead-up to one of the preliminary bouts.

Shayilan Nuerdanbieke drew heavy support in the hours leading up to his fight against Darrick Minner and duly won his contest via first-round stoppage.

The fight ended strangely when Minner threw some early leg-kicks that appeared to incur pain. He then switched stances and threw another kick that caused him to fall back against the fence as though badly compromised.

Nuerdanbieke capitalised on the apparent mishap, launching a heavy attack, and the ref soon intervened to halt the action and award a TKO win for the short-priced favourite.

The heavy betting support combined with the unusual ending to the fight raised many eyebrows, and US Integrity – a prominent sports protection service – has stepped in to investigate.

MMA is a sport that can be easily compromised given the low pay on offer for unranked participants, and the ability for either contestant to quit via unspecified injury.

The investigation is will be welcomed by fight fans as it means that oversight bodies are monitoring the sport for possible irregularities.

While no blame can be apportioned at this early stage, Minner may have been carrying an injury into the fight, which would cause his odds to drift if this news was leaked.

The MMA community is still reeling from the recent TJ Dillashaw title fight at UFC 280 that saw the former champion enter the octagon with a compromised shoulder that quickly dislocated and rendered him defenceless.

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