The UFC was forced to abruptly cancel a scheduled lightweight bout between Michael Johnson and Alex Hernandez just hours before the card began in Las Vegas due to potential betting integrity issues.
The fight was pulled from the early prelims after U.S. Integrity, an independent monitoring firm, flagged unusual wagering activity. Offshore sportsbooks had already begun removing props and lowering limits on the fight earlier in the day after spotting irregular patterns. Speculation on social media suggested a potential injury to Hernandez was driving heavy betting on MichaelJohnson.
Dana White Reacts
UFC CEO Dana White addressed the cancellation following the event, confirming the intervention by integrity monitors.
“It happened again,” White said. “We got called from the gaming integrity service, and I said, ‘I’m not doing this s— again.’ So we pulled the fight”.
Recurring Integrity Issues
This marks the second betting scandal to hit the promotion in three months. In November, at UFC Vegas 110, a bout involving Isaac Dulgarian raised alarms after his odds shifted drastically from -240 to -160, while the price on a first-round finish dropped significantly.
Following that incident, the UFC cooperated with FBI inquiries, and White issued a stark warning to his roster regarding match-fixing or insider betting.
“We will do everything we can to make sure you go to prison,” White stated at the time.
The issue reflects a broader trend in professional sports. The NBA recently banned Jontay Porter for life for influencing prop bets, while MLB pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are facing investigations regarding wagers on specific in-game outcomes. As sports betting grows, leagues are increasingly relying on real-time monitoring to protect the integrity of their competitions.
