Yardbarker
x
Dana White Confirms FBI Involvement in Isaac Dulgarian Betting Scandal
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Dana White Confirms FBI Involvement in Isaac Dulgarian Betting Scandal

Originally posted on Dice City Sports  |  By Robert LaMar  |  Last updated Nov 5, 2025 12:06 PM ET

UFC CEO Dana White confirmed Tuesday that the organization has involved the FBI in the investigation surrounding the suspicious betting activity and subsequent release of featherweight fighter Isaac Dulgarian, who suffered a controversial first-round loss at UFC Vegas 110.

According to White, the UFC was alerted by its official betting integrity partner. IC360, just hours before Dulgarian’s bout against Yadier del Valle. The watchdog group detected an unusual surge of wagers on del Valle both for him to win outright and specifically by first-round finish.

“We called the fighter and his lawyer and said, ‘What’s going on? There’s some weird betting action going on in your fight,’” White told TMZ. “We asked him if he was injured, if he owed anybody money, or if anyone had approached him. He said, ‘No, absolutely not. I’m going to kill this guy.’ So we said OK.”

When Dulgarian was submitted in the first round via rear-naked choke after showing little resistance, alarms went off across the industry. Sportsbooks such as Caesars immediately refunded losing bets placed on Dulgarian, and the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) later confirmed that it withheld his fight purse pending further review.

FBI Now Involved

White confirmed that the UFC met with the FBI twice on Tuesday. Saying the agency now has “an office full of FBI agents” working on the case.

“The first thing we did after that fight was call the FBI,” White said. “It doesn’t look good it definitely doesn’t look good but there’s no proof yet that anything criminal happened.”

White also called the idea of fight fixing in the UFC “absolutely insane,” emphasizing that the organization’s integrity depends on the legitimacy of its results.

Historical Context: UFC’s Second Betting Scandal in Three Years

This marks the second major betting controversy for the UFC since 2022.

  • In November 2022, Darrick Minner was cut by the UFC and suspended by the NAC after a suspicious first-round loss to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke triggered a federal investigation into illegal betting. Minner’s coach, James Krause, was also banned from cornering fighters, and the UFC implemented stricter policies for betting disclosure and integrity.

  • Prior to that, Tae Hyun Bang was sentenced to 10 months in prison in South Korea for participating in a fight-fixing scheme during a 2015 UFC event in Seoul.


What’s Next

  • IC360 is conducting a “thorough review” of the Dulgarian–del Valle fight data, including betting patterns, communication logs, and financial links.

  • The FBI will investigate potential criminal activity, including fraud or manipulation related to insider knowledge.

  • Dulgarian, who has been released by the UFC, has not yet commented publicly on the allegations.

White concluded by reaffirming the UFC’s zero-tolerance stance:

“We’re going to get to the bottom of this. If someone thinks they can game this system, they’re out and maybe in jail.”

The Dulgarian investigation underscores how seriously the UFC and federal authorities now take betting integrity. For a promotion still rebuilding trust after the Krause fallout, transparency and swift accountability are once again front and center.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!