Sonnen On The UFC Fight-Fixing Allegations

Chael Sonnen has urged the FBI to not bring up fighter and coach James Krause into their UFC fight-fixing probe, as the authorities undertake an investigation into claims of suspicious betting.

The investigation was triggered at UFC Vegas 110, where Isaac Dulgarian suffered a first-round submission loss to Yadier del Valle. A large number of bets were placed on Dulgarian to lose in the first round, which is what happened. Vince Morales and Vanessa Demopoulos (two other UFC fighters) also said they were approached to throw their fights.

The investigation has thrown Krause into the spotlight, as he was banned from the UFC in 2022 following a betting scandal involving his fighter Darrick Minner. Minner’s 67-second loss to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke was preceded by heavy betting on a quick finish, as he entered the bout with a knee injury, with suggestions some had insider knowledge of this. This has created speculation that he is reportedly one of the FBI’s investigative targets in their probe, although there is no evidence of this as of yet. Sonnen hoped the FBI would not drag Krause into this.

Sonnen Reacts

“How brutal. And all on speculation, there are rumors that they might be investigating. I hope they call it good. Whether he did it or not, he’s paid. You guys don’t have to follow through and take him to court; you’ve ruined that man. His gym is gone, friends are gone, you’re good. Your pound of flesh? You’ve got it. Leave him alone,” Sonnen said

The most crucial step is for the UFC to ban all fighters, coaches, and team members betting on any UFC event. This rule should be expanded to include all staff and personnel with privileged access to fighter information, such as medical details, training injuries, or financial duress. The UFC must also increase fighter pay, particularly for lower-level athletes, as financial instability is a core vulnerability that makes the temptation of a quick, fixed payday appealing. 

Furthermore, the UFC needs a mandatory and immediate reporting policy where any fighter or staff member approached to fix a fight must report it to law enforcement. Failure to report should result in an immediate and severe suspension or ban.