Now, things have taken an even darker turn. Today (Mon., Nov. 3, 2025), Ariel Helwani revealed on his show that multiple fighters have told him they were approached about throwing fights for money.
“I have talked to multiple people who have either experienced, or know of others who have experienced, situations where they have been approached about their willingness to do something like this,” Helwani said on his show. “So, I have talked to multiple people who have been asked, ‘Are you interested in this? Are you interested in throwing a fight for an X amount of dollars?’ All signs right now are leading to this.”
Helwani went on to call it a “massive issue” for the UFC, pointing to the rise in questionable refereeing decisions and unusual in-cage outcomes in recent months.
“You can’t help but let your mind go there as well,” he added. “There is no other possible explanation for some of the wacky stuff we’ve seen lately. And it’s very easy to do — we’ve now seen it in broad daylight, multiple times.”
According to Helwani, he believes these alleged fix attempts are primarily targeting lower-level UFC fighters — those on entry contracts earning relatively small paydays compared to their peers.
He also reported that the FBI is aware of the situation and will be looking into it, though it remains unclear how deep the investigation will go.
As the controversy unfolds, one thing is certain: the integrity of the sport is under serious scrutiny.
