Fighter-turned-coach James Krause has gone from a well-respected name to one who can no longer train fighters in a very short amount of time.
On Friday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship released a pair of statements – one from UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell to fighters and their teams, and the other in a public release – to further explain the steps taken regarding the irregular betting activity surrounding UFC Fight Night 214. At that November event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Darrick Minner vs. Nuerdanbieke Shayilan saw some unusual betting activity within hours of the match, and Minner succumbed to an injury that led to a quick TKO loss. Sportsbooks turned to the Nevada State Athletic Commission and betting firm U.S. Integrity to review the matter, in which the former suspended the license of Minner’s coach, Krause.
Krause runs acclaimed team Glory MMA & Fitness, which trains a litany of professional fighters including several on the UFC roster. Per the promotion, any fighter that trains with Krause directly or at Glory MMA in any capacity will not be allowed to compete at UFC fight cards for the indeterminate future. Additionally, Minner has been released from the UFC altogether. According to TSN, UFC fighter Marcelo Rojo, who is booked on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 42 in Orlando, Fla., will still be allowed to fight, even though he shifted his training camp to Glory MMA. Several other Glory-affiliated athletes including Jeff Molina, David Onama, Isaac Dulgarian and even ex-champ Brandon Moreno have fights booked in the coming months, and it is not clear how those will play out.
The New Jersey Division of Gambling Enforcement blocked any bets from fighters involving Krause or his team recently, in accordance with the investigation. The UFC, and the aforementioned New Jersey department, clarified that the suspension involving Krause is pending the outcome of the investigations.
The prohibition of betting on Krause fights was a small decision compared to the one made on Thursday by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario in Canada. There, the AGCO blocked all betting on UFC events for the foreseeable future, due to concerns about betting integrity and suspicious activity around this match and others currently under review. On Friday, the province of Alberta, and its Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis commission, followed suit with Ontario's decision, per TSN, and all UFC bets have been canceled and the money has been returned to the bettors.
The official UFC statement reads as follows:
Following the fight involving Darrick Minner on November 5, 2022, UFC was informed by sources that suspicious betting patterns had been observed on the fight. In the weeks following the fight, UFC has been cooperating with multiple ongoing government investigations into the facts and circumstances surrounding that contest. On November 18, the Nevada State Athletic Commission informed UFC and Minner’s coach, James Krause, that Krause’s license was suspended and would remain so while NSAC conducted an investigation into the matter. UFC has since advised Krause and the respective managers working with impacted fighters, that effective immediately, fighters who choose to continue to be coached by Krause or who continue to train in his gym, will not be permitted to participate in UFC events pending the outcome of the aforementioned government investigations. Further, UFC has released Darrick Minner from the organization.
Along with the safety and health of its fighters, UFC believes there is no more important component of professional mixed martial arts than the integrity of the sport. Weeks prior to the Minner fight, the organization sent formal notification to all fighters and members of their teams that they and certain other defined “insiders” were prohibited from wagering on UFC events. This was an extension of UFC’s pre-existing (and since updated) fighter Code of Conduct as well as a recognition of various state, federal, and international laws and regulations expressly prohibiting conduct that threatens the integrity of the sport including, but not limited to, insider betting based on non-public information, fight-fixing, and other such misconduct. 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.
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