MMA fighters who stick with Krause risk banning

Fighters who remain involved with MMA trainer James Krause will be temporarily banned from participating in UFC events, pending multiple investigations into suspicious betting activity, the UFC announced on Friday.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) informed Krause on Nov. 18 that his corner license had been suspended and would remain so as the commission investigates the events of a Nov. 5 fight between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke that sparked several investigations into the game, according to the UFC.

Krause dragged Minner into the fight. Minner has been released by the UFC, the promotion announced Friday.

“The UFC has since advised Krause and the respective managers working with the affected fighters, that effective immediately, fighters who choose to continue to be trained by Krause or who continue to train at his gym, will not be permitted to participate in UFC events pending the outcome of the aforementioned government investigations,” the UFC statement read. “In addition, the UFC has released Darrick Minner from the organization. “

On Friday, UFC chief commercial officer Hunter Campbell sent a note to UFC fighters and their teams with a similar message. The promotion said it has been cooperating “with several ongoing government investigations” into the Minner vs. Neurdanbieke fight.

“In addition to the safety and health of its fighters, the UFC believes there is no more important component of professional mixed martial arts than the integrity of the sport,” the statement read. UFC.

The statement then referenced a memo sent by the UFC in October, telling fighters that they, their coaches and others involved with their teams were no longer allowed to bet on fights from the UFC. ‘UFC in accordance with the UFC Code of Conduct. Prior to this rating, the UFC had no betting rules.

“This was an extension of the UFC’s pre-existing (and since updated) Fighter Code of Conduct,” the statement continued, “as well as an acknowledgment of various state, federal laws and regulations. and international laws expressly prohibiting conduct that threatens the integrity of the sport, including, but not limited to, insider betting based on nonpublic information, match-fixing and other such misconduct. The UFC will continue to take all necessary and appropriate steps to ensure compliance with and enforcement of its policies and those of the jurisdictions in which it operates.”

Several sportsbooks have reported receiving unusual interest in betting on Neurdanbieke to win by knockout in the first round and for the fight to last less than 2.5 rounds. The odds of the fight have moved significantly in the hours leading up to the featherweight bout in Las Vegas, with Neurdanbieke going from a -220 favorite to a -420 favorite.

Just 30 seconds into the fight, Minner landed a left kick to Nuerdanbieke’s body and immediately winced and reached for his left leg. Nuerdanbieke closed in and Minner went for another left kick before Nuerdanbieke dropped Minner with a knee to the head and finished on the ground with elbows. The TKO stoppage came at 1:07 of the first round.

The unusual betting action prompted an investigation by US Integrity, a Las Vegas firm that works with sports betting and gaming regulators to monitor the betting market. The UFC also said it is investigating the fight with partner Don Best Sports. Investigations are ongoing.

Additionally, the Nevada State Athletic Association plans to take disciplinary action against Minner for “non-disclosure of his pre-fight medical form” at a Dec. 14 meeting, according to NSAC executive director Jeff Mullen.

Krause, 36, hasn’t fought since 2020 and officially announced his retirement in an interview with The MMA Hour in August. Krause has been training top MMA fighters at his Glory MMA and Fitness gym in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, for years. His most notable current fighter is interim UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, who is scheduled to fight for title unification with Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 238 on Jan. 21 in Brazil.

On Nov. 19, New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement informed the state-licensed bookmaker that it was no longer authorized to offer bets on fights Krause was involved in, “including as a trainer. , trainer, promoter or fighter”.

Krause has been open about his sports betting, running a popular Discord channel and podcast on YouTube known as the 1% Club. He also contributed to a betting show for ESPN on YouTube. Krause’s Discord and YouTube channels were removed on November 24.

In the interview with “The MMA Hour,” Krause said, “I win more bets on MMA than anything else,” and added that he bets on “every card, pretty much all fights”.

A request for comment from Krause was not immediately returned

On Thursday, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) ordered registered entities to stop offering and accepting bets on the UFC “due to non-compliance with betting integrity requirements of AGCO”. The AGCO is concerned that the UFC’s gambling policy prohibits athletes from betting on fights and does not go far enough to prohibit everyone with access to insider information.

“We have advised operators that once the necessary corrective action has been taken, they can provide information demonstrating that UFC betting products meet the Registrar’s standards,” said Katherine Cunningham, Head of Gaming Regulatory Compliance. on the Internet. “We are committed to working closely with operators and the UFC to ensure gaming is delivered safely and responsibly in Ontario.”

On Friday, the government agency Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis ordered operators in the province to stop offering bets on the UFC.

Krause has cornered several fighters in UFC title fights. As a fighter, he had a 28-8 record, twice competed on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show, and had a six-fight UFC winning streak between 2015 and 2019. He has made his professional MMA debut in 2007, following a decorated amateur career.