The fighters betting situation in the mixed martial arts community has taken center stage in recent times, and Dustin Poirier is the latest to comment on it, saying that he is glad that the UFC has banned fighters betting altogether.
The controversy started with the recent UFC Vegas 64 featherweight fight between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke on 5th November. The odds before the fight started off in Minner’s favor but slowly shifted towards Nuerdanbieke as the fight date neared closer. It was rumored that Minner, who suffered a 67-second TKO loss, carried an undisclosed injury into the fight.
Since then, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) slapping a complete ban on any type of wager on the promotion’s fights, as well as James Krause, the former UFC welterweight who currently trains Minner, has also come under scrutiny, with the UFC announcing that any fighter from Glory MMA or training under Krause will not be allowed to fight at any UFC event.
ALSO READ: Jake Paul Terms UFC’s James Krause Suspension & Investigation As “Ironic”
Dustin Poirier is grateful that UFC banned fighters betting
Speaking to Eddie Mercado of Bloody Elbow, former interim UFC Lightweight Champion Dustin Poirier revealed that he’s glad that the promotion took the step.
“Dude, I’m glad it happened because I usually do bet on fights. I’m glad it happened right before that [Sean] O’Malley – [Petr] Yan fight because I would have lost a bunch of money. I would have bet [Mateusz] Gamrot to beat [Beneil] Dariush, I would have bet Petr to beat O’Malley. I would’ve lost a bunch of money, so they saved me some money,” said Poirier.
“But still, it’s insider trading. If I’m training with these guys, and they have an injury going into a fight or whatever, I’m seeing it from a different angle than the public and the matchmakers are seeing it. So, I can see it’s just not a good look in general, and I have no problem being removed from the betting side of mixed martial arts,” he added.
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