In response to Thursday’s announcement of a deal between the promotion and U.S. Integrity to monitor UFC wagering, and the shoring up of the UFC’s Athlete Code of Conduct as it pertains to insider betting, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has given the green light for UFC betting to return in the province.

Cageside Press was provided with a press release when contacting AGCO officials for comment following Thursday’s announcement by the promotion.

“The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has announced that, effective immediately, regulated sport and event betting operators in Ontario may resume offering bets and betting related products on Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events,” the release reads in part.

Betting on UFC fights in the province was banned in early December, in the wake of the widening investigation into November 5’s Shayilan Neurdanbieke vs. Darrick Minner fight.

In the hours ahead of that match-up, there was significant line movement in favor of Neurdanbieke, including considerable money placed on the Chinese fighter to win inside of a round. News of the peculiarity was first reported by TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter, and later flagged by U.S. Integrity.

Both Ontario and another Canadian province, Alberta, instituted bans on UFC betting in response. New Jersey specifically banned bets on fighters linked to James Krause, Minner’s coach, a known gambling enthusiast who last year claimed to have made more money off wagering than coaching. Krause’s alleged role as an agent for an offshore sportsbook, and his time running a betting-themed Discord known as the “1% Club,” have become the focus of multiple investigations into the matter.

Alberta had previously reinstated UFC bets, leaving Ontario as the last major hurdle for the organization to overcome.

In reinstating the promotion in the province, the AGCO noted that it “is satisfied that the betting integrity concerns raised have now been addressed and is therefore permitting registered gaming operators to resume offering UFC-related bets. Operators must continue to meet all applicable Registrar’s Standards and the AGCO will continue to monitor compliance with the Standards. The AGCO is aware of ongoing investigations in other jurisdictions and will be monitoring the outcome and actions related to those investigations.”

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News of the deal was announced by promotion officials in a press release distributed on Thursday.

Under the deal, U.S. Integrity will become the official integrity service for the promotion, effective immediately. The agreement covers the entirety of 2023, and includes all Ultimate Fighting Championship events, and Dana White’s Contender Series.

Thursday’s press release includes a statement from Riche T. McKnight, Executive Vice Present and General Counsel of UFC, noting that the promotion had discussions with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) ahead of the agreement. As previously reported by Cageside Press and other media outlets, UFC wagering was halted in the Province of Ontario as a result of betting irregularities stemming from a November 5, 2022 fight between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Neurdanbieke.

It was U.S. Integrity who first flagged the suspicious activity surrounding wagering on that fight, following online reports.

In a statement to Cageside Press in December, the AGCO wrote in part that it was “encouraged by [UFC’s] commitment to integrity. Protecting the betting public by providing the necessary safeguards against the risk of insider betting on event and wagering integrity is a high priority to the AGCO. We recognize the recent steps taken and are committed to engaging with Ontario’s gaming industry, UFC, the OLG, and iGaming Ontario to ensure that the UFC has the necessary betting integrity framework in place, in particular relating to wagering by UFC insiders.”

Cageside Press has reached out to the AGCO for their response to Thursday’s news; the organization announced the reinstatement of UFC betting in the province a short time later.

In announcing the partnership with U.S. Integrity, the UFC’s McKnight also noted that it had “made enhancements to our UFC Athlete Code of Conduct Policy to more clearly express the prohibition against any UFC athlete from placing any wagers directly or through a third party on any UFC match, including placing wagers on themselves. We have also expanded our discussion of so-called ‘UFC Insiders’ to make clear that these same prohibitions against wagering apply to an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, and other individuals affiliated with the athletes or UFC, and that violations by these insiders may result in disciplinary action against related contract athletes.”

Athletes are expected to report any matters that raise integrity concerns, the press release added.

The investigation into the Nov. 5 Neurdanbieke vs. Minner fight remains ongoing, with numerous bodies reviewing the matter. Minner, who appeared to be injured from the outset of the fight, has since been released by the promotion. His coach, James Krause, has been suspended by both the Nevada Athletic Commission and the promotion, as has Glory MMA and Fitness fighter Jeff Molina. Krause, who ran a betting themed Discord known as the “1% Club,” which Molina was also reportedly involved in, has since stepped down from his role at Glory MMA and Fitness. He had allegedly also worked as an agent for an offshore sportsbook for years.

Fighters had previously been told by the promotion that those associated with Krause would not be allowed to compete, pending the outcome of the aforementioned investigations. That led many, including interim flyweight champ Brandon Moreno, to seek coaching elsewhere.

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Matt Brown on James Krause: “Good Dude,” but Krause “is F*cked”

Like pretty much everyone, Matt Brown has been following along with the betting scandal that has erupted around the UFC. At its center is Glory MMA and Fitness coach James Krause, whose fighter, Darrick Minner, showed up for a Nov. 5 match-up with Shayilan Nuerdanbieke injured, falling in the first round via TKO.

Hours before the fight, a large amount of money was placed on Nuerdanbieke to win inside of a round. That triggered a review by betting watchdog U.S. Integrity, with the UFC later announcing its own investigation alongside betting integrity partner Don Best Sports. Other bodies are also digging into what exactly happened, with Krause since suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission, and banned by the UFC.

Brown, who has worked with Krause in the past, was taken aback by the news.

“I always thought he was a good dude,” Brown told MMA Fighting‘s Damon Martin. “Very, very smart with coaching, very smart with business stuff. I actually picked up some tips from him for business stuff. He’s a very intelligent guy.”

“Sounds like he went to the well one too many times on this one though, right? He reached a little too far, over stepped his boundaries and now he’s looking like Pete Rose out here. Long story short, James Krause is f*cked. Everything he’s worked for is going down the drain from this. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

AGCO Comments Following Alberta Decision to Reinstate UFC Betting

Following Alberta’s decision to reinstate UFC betting in the province, primarily on PlayAlberta.ca, their counterparts in Ontario released the following statement to Cageside Press.

In an e-mail response Friday to a request for comment, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario wrote that “The AGCO is aware of UFC’s statement last week, and is encouraged by their commitment to integrity. Protecting the betting public by providing the necessary safeguards against risk of insider betting on event and wagering integrity is a high priority to the AGCO. We recognize the steps taken and are committed to engaging with Ontario’s gaming industry, UFC, the OLG, and iGaming Ontario to ensure that the UFC has the necessary betting integrity framework in place, in particular related to wagering ny UFC insiders.”

In short: no reinstatement in Ontario yet, but a step in the right direction. As for the “steps” taken by the UFC, that includes the banning of James Krause and any fighter under him from UFC events — forcing several, including Brandon Moreno, to scramble to find new homes.

Dustin Poirier Undergoes Surgery on Infected Foot

Dustin Poirier has been battling a nasty staph infection, and was recently admitted to hospital, where he was forced to go under the knife after being diagnosed with cellulitis.

Wife Jolie Poirer kept fans posted on the situation, via a post on social media detailing the ordeal and noting that oral antibiotics simply weren’t working.

“For those asking about Dustins foot … he has a bad staph infection that started Saturday, didn’t respond to oral antibiotics & he was unable to walk,” Poirier wrote on Instagram. “Sunday we went into the ER and they admitted him for cellulitis. They released him early Wednesday morning but after a 2nd MRI it showed there was an abscess that needs to be drained. So now he’s back in the hospital for surgery. I’ll post an update once he’s out. Thank you everyone for the kind words and support.”

Poirier, now out of surgery, has been keeping his spirits up, posting several memes of his swollen foot to his Instagram story.

Dana White Says Chandler “Likely” Next for McGregor

The soon-to-return Conor McGregor is “likely” to fight Michael Chandler next, according to UFC President Dana White.

White made the comment in an interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.

It’s a fan-friendly fight that pits the former UFC champ against a former Bellator champ, both of whom are coming off losses. While there had been calls for a fourth fight with Dustin Poirier, the foot issue reported on above puts that on ice for now. There’s always a Tony Ferguson match-up, but that feels a bit iffy with the streak “El Cucuy” is on. So “Iron” Mike it is.

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