fix fight: UFC fighter sentenced to jail time for taking bribe to fix fight: Throwback

Throughout the years, several UFC fighters have been found to be breaking the law. Professional athletes are no less susceptible than the rest of us when it comes to running afoul of the law.

Many of the organization's biggest names have had run-ins with the law in the past, from drug arrests to alleged acts of domestic violence and even murder. Although not all cases will be as serious as the ones listed before, they are nevertheless enough to hinder a fighter's chances of becoming a champion and turn off potential spectators.

Former UFC lightweight contender Tae Hyun Bang served a 10-month prison sentence for accepting bribes in relation to an attempt to fix a bout. The Seoul Central District Court in South Korea convicted Bang of accepting bribes to throw his fight against Leo Kuntz at UFC Fight Night 79 in 2015.

Three brokers who orchestrated the fix and provided $92,160 USD to Bang were also sentenced to prison time. MMA fighter Dae Won Kim was allegedly one of the brokers.

A statement released by the court read:

“The crime of match fixing damages the credibility of the sport, and in international matches, it has a bad effect on the country’s credibility as well. Bang had an obligation to play the game fairly, but he ignored it and took an important role in the scheme. But we did take into consideration that Bang won the bout and returned the money afterwards.”

Tae Hyun Bang accepted bribes from the brokers prior to his promotional debut in South Korea versus Kuntz in November 2015. Allegedly, after accepting the bribe, he placed a wager of nearly half the money on Kuntz. The strategy called for him to go behind 2-0 in the opening rounds against Kuntz.

Both combatants were cautioned about the repercussions of manipulating fights after UFC authorities detected a radical shift in the betting lines that made Bang a huge underdog. Soon after initially considering throwing the fight, Bang had a change of heart and ended up taking the contest via split decision in a dramatic turn of events.

After beating Kuntz, Bang fought once more for the organization in September 2016. However, he was defeated by Nick Hein by unanimous decision in Germany. He has not fought professionally since that bout.

What did UFC fighter Leo Kuntz say about Tae Hyun Bang allegedly taking bribe to fix fight?

Tae Hyun Bang was sentenced to 10 months in prison by the Seoul Central District Court for accepting $92,610 (100 million won in South Korea) to throw a bout against Leo Kuntz in November 2015.

According to reports, Bang agreed to lose the first two rounds and the fight to Kuntz. However, he altered his mind and ultimately won the bout by split decision. According to reports, he changed his mind after receiving a warning from UFC authorities about potential match-fixing, since the fight's betting lines changed significantly in the days leading up to the event.

His opponent Leo Kuntz spoke to MMA Junkie and shared his thoughts when the investigation into the matter was announced:

“The UFC seemed like they knew something was definitely not right. They told me it was the largest odd swing they’d seen in MMA and last minute. They told me, ‘Hey, if either one of you guys goes out there and doesn’t fight, you should prepare to be investigated."