Las Vegas, November 5: UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is officially involved in an ongoing fight-fixing investigation following Isaac Dulgarian’s controversial defeat at UFC Vegas 110.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, White revealed that the promotion was alerted by its betting integrity partner IC360 just hours before Dulgarian’s featherweight clash against Yadier del Valle, after an unusual wave of betting favored the underdog—particularly on first-round finish props.
“We called the fighter and his lawyer and said, ‘What’s going on? There’s some weird betting activity on your fight,’” White explained. “He said no, he wasn’t injured and hadn’t been approached by anyone. Then the fight happens — first-round rear-naked choke. The first thing we did was call the FBI.”
Following the bout, which saw Dulgarian offer minimal resistance before being submitted, UFC cut the fighter from its roster on Sunday night. Multiple sportsbooks, including Caesars Sportsbook, announced refunds for users who had placed bets on Dulgarian, citing “integrity concerns.”
The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) has since withheld Dulgarian’s fight purse, while IC360 continues to review the matter. White added that he held two meetings with the FBI on Tuesday, saying agents were “all over the case.”
“There’s no proof yet that Dulgarian did anything wrong,” White said. “But it doesn’t look good — it definitely doesn’t look good.”
UFC’s Second Betting Scandal in Three Years
This marks the second major betting controversy to hit the UFC in recent years. In 2022, Darrick Minner was released from the promotion after a similarly suspicious loss to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke, resulting in suspensions for both Minner and his coach, James Krause.
Earlier, in 2015, South Korean fighter Tae Hyun Bang was sentenced to 10 months in prison for attempting to fix a bout against Leo Kuntz at a UFC event in Seoul.
Veteran MMA reporter Ariel Helwani of Uncrowned has reported that Dulgarian’s case “is not an isolated incident,” adding that several fighters have privately claimed they were approached to throw fights for money. While a few of these claims surfaced on social media, some have since been deleted or retracted.
Dana White Warns: ‘We Will Come After You’
White issued a stern warning to anyone involved in or considering match-fixing, emphasizing zero tolerance from the organization.
“If you try to do this, we’ll be your worst enemy,” he said. “We’ll go after you with the FBI and anyone else we need. We’ll make sure you go to prison.”
White also criticized fighters who have only now come forward with claims of being approached:
“If somebody comes up and says, ‘Hey, let’s rob a bank,’ and you don’t report it, that’s on you,” White said. “If these fighters were approached, they should have told us or law enforcement immediately. Now the FBI will be approaching them.”
As the investigation unfolds, the UFC faces mounting scrutiny over its betting integrity policies and the influence of gambling in combat sports — a growing issue as regulated betting becomes more accessible worldwide.
