Dana White confirms FBI investigation into suspected fight and responds to fighters who say they were approached to break up fights

The FBI is now investigating allegations that a UFC fight may have been fixed, according to promotion CEO and president Dana White.

Last weekend at UFC Vegas 110, the featherweight bout between Yadier del Valle and Isaac Dulgarian saw a huge shift in the betting line in the hours leading up to the fight. Dulgarian, who entered the fight at 2-1, was later submitted via rear choke in a heavily criticized performance. Given the number of late bets that came into the Valley at the early finish, red flags were raised.

White confirmed this to TMZ on Tuesday.

“Probably around one o’clock that day, we’re at a company called IC 360, and they’re the best betting monitoring company in the industry. They contacted us and told us there was some unusual action going on during that fight – did we know anything? We didn’t,” White said while in conversation with TMZ. “So what we did was, we called the fighter and his lawyer and said, ‘What’s going on? There’s some weird action going on during your bet, there’s some weird gambling going on during your fight. Are you hurt? Do you owe anyone money? Has anyone approached you?’ And the child said, ‘No, absolutely not. I’m going to kill this man.’ And you know, so we said, ‘Okay.’

“The fight takes place and [it’s a] finish in the first round by rear naked choke. The first thing we did was literally call the FBI. So we called the FBI. I met with the FBI twice today, so that’s the whole story.”

White disputed an online report that hundreds of fights were being investigated, calling that news “all clickbait BS.”

That said, a number of fighters have come out after the event saying they have historically been approached to organize fights, without suggesting by whom.

They include Vanessa Demopoulos and Vince Morales, the latter of whom confirmed to Cageside Press that he had been approached ahead of the first UFC Vegas show at the Apex during COVID. Morales declined the offer, saying, “That was way back in Covid times. Fight week during the first week of the summit. It happened casually, so I didn’t even take it seriously.”

“If you try to do this, we will be your worst enemy. We will come after you immediately, with fire and hell with the FBI and whoever else we need to catch. And we will do everything we can to make sure you go to jail,” White said of anyone trying to break up fights, before questioning why fighters who claimed to have been approached to organize their fights had not come forward sooner, either to the promotion or to authorities.

“Really? Why didn’t you tell us, or more importantly, why didn’t you tell the police you were approached? Now? Now you’re saying you were approached?”

White compared it to being approached by someone plotting a bank robbery. “You’re not going to tell the police? It’s really strange that fighters are coming out now. They will now be approached by the FBI.”

Dulgarian has since been released along with him by the UFC full fight scholarship is being held back by the Nevada Athletic Commission. White isn’t passing judgment yet, but admits things aren’t looking good for his now former fighter.

“I hate to see anyone in our sport doing anything illegal, but fixing fights is absolutely insane. To get to this level and go out there and be part of the fight [fixing]- And I’m not saying this boy is guilty. There’s no evidence yet that he did this, but I can tell you this: it doesn’t look good. It definitely doesn’t look good.”