UFC fight between Darrick Minner, Shayilan Nuerdanbieke investigated over unusual betting
Jun 11, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; UFC president Dana White during weigh ins for UFC 263 at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The UFC fight between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke in Las Vegas on Saturday night is being investigated over unusual betting patterns.
Nuerdanbieke beat Minner via first-round TKO. The fight ended after just 1:07.
UFC fights ending quickly is not unusual, but the betting for the fight sure was.
The odds on Nuerdanbieke to win the fight changed dramatically in the hours leading up to the fight. He became almost twice as big of a favorite to win. According to ESPN, money poured in the last few hours on Nuerdanbieke to win via first-round knockout and for the fight to last fewer than 2.5 rounds.
One question is whether or not the fight was fixed.
The betting patterns were a huge red flag that someone knew something. Whether people knew that Minner was going down in the first because he was throwing the fight, or because he was injured, word apparently spread that he was likely to lose early.
One complication is that Minner is coached by James Krause, who is a known sports bettor.
Both sportsbooks and the UFC are conducting investigations.
