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Multiple UFC Fighters Say They've Been Approached to Throw Fights

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One veteran fighter says he was offered $70,000 to lose on purpose. Other UFC fighters say they turned down offers to take a dive for money.

Brad Senkiw - Contributor at Covers.com

Nov 4, 2025 • 10:31 ET

• 4 min read

Photo By – Imagn Images. Vince Morales (red gloves) reacts to fight against Drako Rodriguez (blue gloves) during UFC 265 at Toyota Center. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The integrity of the UFC is now under a microscope.

Key Takeaways

  • Multiple UFC fighters say they have been offered money to throw a fight.
  • The latest incident occurred last Saturday in a bout between Isaac Dulgarian and Yadier del Valle. 
  • There are reports that integrity monitoring services flagged the fight on Saturday afternoon. 

Based on a number of UFC fighters claiming they’ve been approached to take a dive – just days after an integrity concern emerged – it appears there is a growing issue in the MMA company. 

Multiple sportsbooks refunded bettors after Saturday’s bout between Isaac Dulgarian and Yadier del Valle ended in suspicion and controversy after betting odds on Dulgarian shifted right before the fight. The previously heavy -240 favorite was submitted 3:41 into the first round and then let go by the UFC. He was down to as low as -130 at some shops to win the fight.

Since that night, UFC fighters have been coming out on social media, raising more concerns about the integrity of the sport. 

Vince Morales, an 11-fight veteran, said he was offered $70,000 to lose on purpose. 

Lightweight fighter Lando Vannata said he was approached about throwing a fight seven times. UFC women’s flyweight Vanessa Demopoulos said she was also offered a chance to take a dive for money, but her “integrity could never.”

Not isolated 

Journalist Ariel Helwani said on his show on Monday that this is not an “isolated incident” in the UFC.

“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. “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 believes fighters who are receiving low pay for bouts are being targeted to throw fights, and he showed a post from an X user who said that the FBI is getting involved in the irregular betting activity. 

Integrity issues

The UFC released a statement on Monday confirming the integrity concerns, and an investigation into the Dulgarian-del Valle fight is underway. 

“Like many professional sports organizations, UFC works with an independent betting integrity service to monitor wagering activity on our events,” the MMA company said. “Our betting integrity partner, IC360, monitors wagering on every UFC event and is conducting a thorough review of the facts surrounding the Dulgarian vs. del Valle bout on Saturday, November 1. We take these allegations very seriously, and along with the health and safety of our fighters, nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport.”

Yahoo Sports’ Ben Fawkes told Helwani that integrity monitoring services flagged the fight on Saturday afternoon after suspicious accounts began betting del Valle in what became a mostly one-sided market on moneyline and first-round win bets. Some sportsbooks even pulled the fight after the alert.   

Fawkes said one respected bettor canceled a large wager after the operator told the individual that the fight had been flagged. 

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