UFC cancels fight amid betting concerns
The UFC pulled a lightweight contest between Michael Johnson and Alexander Hernandez from the UFC 324 card hours before the Las Vegas event was due to commence on Saturday evening, reports BritPanorama.
The organisation confirmed the cancellation via a statement but did not elaborate on the reasons behind the decision. “The lightweight bout between Michael Johnson and Alexander Hernandez has been canceled from tonight’s event,” the statement read.
Both fighters had faced off at Friday’s weigh-in, with Johnson, 39, riding a three-fight winning streak and Hernandez, 33, entering the octagon with four consecutive victories. Despite this, neither competitor has publicly addressed the sudden removal of their matchup from the T-Mobile Arena.
The abrupt cancellation has prompted questions from fans and analysts regarding the motives behind the withdrawal. Reports revealed that several betting platforms had detected unusual wagering activity linked to the fight. Dave Mason, brand manager at BetOnline, indicated that the sportsbook would impose restrictions due to these suspicious patterns, stating on social media, “Due to some irregular betting patterns, we will be keeping the limits lower than usual on tonight’s Michael Johnson vs Alex Hernandez bout.”
Mason reassured that the measures taken were standard protocol, not an indictment on the fight’s integrity or indications of possible injury. However, he noted that BetOnline would “err on the side of caution” to protect both punters and the bookmaker. Notably, Hernandez had been a heavy favourite as recently as a month prior, yet the odds shifted dramatically in favour of Johnson in the hours leading up to the scheduled bout.
This latest incident occurs against a backdrop of increasing scrutiny regarding betting integrity within mixed martial arts, particularly following various alarming occurrences. In November, Isaac Dulgarian was released from the UFC just a day after a suspicious first-round submission defeat to Yadier del Valle at UFC Vegas 110, a match that experienced significant odds fluctuations prior to its commencement.
UFC chief Dana White confirmed that the FBI was contacted immediately following that fight, with Dulgarian remaining under suspension from the Nevada Athletic Commission while an investigation is ongoing. White addressed the situation urgently, stating, “We will immediately go after you, guns a blazing, with the FBI and whoever else we need to get, and we will do everything we can to make sure you go to prison.”
Despite the turmoil surrounding the Johnson-Hernandez fight, UFC 324 proceeded with 11 bouts. Notably, a second fight was also lost from the card when Cameron Smotherman collapsed on stage immediately after weighing in, leading to the cancellation of his bantamweight clash with Ricky Turcios. The main event of the evening featured Paddy Pimblett challenging Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight championship, while undisputed champion Ilia Topuria took a break to focus on personal matters. Sean O’Malley and Song Yadong were showcased in the co-main event after the cancellation of the Harrison-Nunes fight.
In a sport where the stakes are high, today’s developments remind us of the thin lines separating triumph and turmoil, capturing the unpredictable essence of mixed martial arts.
