James Krause, an up-and-coming UFC coach, has been quickly making a name for himself. Under his coaching, multiple UFC fighters including Brandon Moreno, the UFC interim flyweight champion have advanced their careers. And everything was going well until one fight back in November.
Fight Minner vs Nuerdanbieke Raises Suspicion
On November 5 a fight between Shayilan Nuerdanbieke and Darrick Minner was held. The bout, which was coached by Krause, raised eyebrows and was immediately flagged for suspicious betting. What captured the attention of sportsbooks and regulators was the unusually high interest for Minner to lose the fight.
It was highly suspicious that some bettors wagered Minner to lose in the first round of the fight against Nuerdanbieke. At the same time, there were bets that the fight wouldn’t last more than 2.5 rounds. Considering that Minner lost after approximately one minute into the first round by a TKO, those suspicions proved not without merit.
After the fight, US and Canadian regulators discontinued betting on events with the participation of Krause as a coach. The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended both Minner and Krause over allegations of failure to reveal an injury. At the same time, New Jersey’s gambling regulator discontinued betting on events with Krause.
But a recent report further exacerbated the situation. As revealed by ESPN, citing anonymous sources, Krause was involved in offshore betting. Allegedly, the UFC coach served as a middleman between bettors and an offshore sports wagering operator called ABCBetting.ag, an online sports betting and casino operator. It is believed that Krause was involved in the activity for years, likely from at least 2019.
Betting by Fighters No Longer Allowed
UFC fighters betting on their bouts was allowed until October last year. Back then, the UFC implemented new rules that prohibited fighters from wagering on UFC fights. Although there are few states that penalize such betting, the regulation is mostly left in the hands of the sports bodies and leagues.
With that in mind, other professional sports such as tennis, basketball, or football prohibit athletes, coaches, or other stakeholders from placing wagers on games. Although the rules differ from one jurisdiction to another, in general, active athletes are not allowed to place wagers. At the same time, it isn’t uncommon for former athletes to join forces with betting operators as brand ambassadors that help promote wagering and provide invaluable insights for bettors.