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Brett Okamoto
LAS VEGAS — A lightweight bout scheduled for UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena was canceled due to questionable betting activity.
Shortly before the event was set to kick off, the UFC announced the cancellation of the matchup between Alexander Hernandez (18-8) and Michael Johnson (24-19). While a specific reason for the cancellation was not provided initially, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed during his postfight press conference that it was related to suspicious betting patterns.
This cancellation follows closely on the heels of a significant betting scandal involving a fight between Isaac Dulgarian and Yadier del Valle less than three months ago. though the UFC was warned about unusual line movements for that match by sports betting watchdog Integrity Compliance 360, the fight proceeded in November. Dulgarian, a heavy favorite, lost under questionable circumstances and was released from the UFC shortly thereafter.
“This has happened again,” White commented after Saturday’s event. “We received a call from the gaming integrity service, and I said, ‘I’m not going through this again.’ So, we opted to pull the fight.”
In the wake of the Dulgarian incident, the UFC announced it was collaborating with the FBI on an investigation. At that time, White dismissed claims that fixed fights were a common problem within the organization.
“People say there are ‘100 fights flagged as suspicious,’ and that’s just typical clickbait nonsense,” White remarked in November. “We’re monitoring every single fight that occurs in the UFC.”
Saturday’s event represented the third federal inquiry into questionable betting practices related to the UFC. James Krause, a former UFC fighter and renowned coach, faced suspension from cornering duties in 2023 after a bout involving one of his students, Darrick Minner, attracted strange betting attention. Minner lost in the first round, with revelations surfacing that he had entered the fight with an existing injury.
