UFC confidential: Inside the precarious state of betting on MMA for fighters and coaches

Shayilan Nuerdanbieke beat Darrick Minner with a TKO 67 seconds into their fight. ESPN spoke to a dozen people in the MMA community. They believe betting on MMA is widespread, but not to the level of tens of thousands of dollars. Tae Hyun Bang went to prison for taking bribes to throw a 2015 UFC fight against Leo Kuntz. Several coaches, managers and fighters said it is common for fighters to go into fights with injuries for the purse and because the UFC insurance policy picks up the costs. The consensus in MMA around Nerbiek vs. Miner is that many people became aware of Miners knee injury in hours leading up to their bout.

Minnner and Nuerdanbieke were caught betting on UFC fights. The UFC prohibits betting in its fighter code of conduct. Some coaches in MMA are afraid of the temptation to manipulate things. The sport's culture is heavily influenced by gambling. It's common for the sport to have sponsorships from betting companies. There are betting tips on social media and on the broadcasts. Israel Adesanya shouted out Stake, his betting sponsor, at the UFC 281 news conference last Wednesday. He is a former middleweight champion. Pete Rose was banned from baseball because he bet on his team. In other sports, betting is prohibited.