3 infamous times the UFC has witnessed controversial betting drama

The UFC is in the midst of a rare betting-related saga after the latest UFC Fight Night event this weekend. The bout between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke in the Vegas-based event has caused a large stir. Let's take a look at some of the most controversial betting moments in UFC history.

1. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke vs. Darrick Minner

Large amounts of money streamed in for Nuerdanbieke to win in convincing fashion, with the 'first-round finish' and 'fewer than 2.5 rounds' markets being strangely active before the contest. The Chinese fighter had already opened up in the betting market as a large favorite, but the money continued to roll in for Nuerdanbieke, especially just before the fight began.

Shayilan Nuerdanbieke defeated Darrick Minner via TKO in the first round at UFC Fight Night 214 last weekend. The fight is currently under investigation due to irregular betting patterns before the contest.

2. Tae Hyun Bang charged with fight fixing

Tae Hyun Bang stepped into the octagon against Leo 'The Lion' Kuntz at UFC Fight Night 79: Henderson vs. Masvidal in 2015. To the unsuspicious eye, it'd seem like a pretty forgettable match-up. However, the Korean fighter was later indicted due to match-fixing allegations surrounding the contest.

The alarm-bells were initially sounded when the betting markets began to get flooded by people backing Kuntz to win. This newfound confidence caused a major change in the market's inclinations, with the American now opening as a wide favorite against the Korean fighter.

It was later revealed that Tae Hyun Bang had become involved with 'gangsters' in Korea. Those individuals had placed nearly $2 million dollars on the fighter, telling him to throw the contest. However, Bang had a change of heart before the bout and decided to fight fairly, defeating Leo Kuntz via split decision despite placing his own money on a losing effort.

The Korean fighter was indicted for match-fixing charges in 2017 and received 10-months in prison.

Watch Tae Hyun Bang take on Jorge Masvidal here:

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3. UFC calls an end to fighter betting

Earlier this year, the UFC may have upset a few of their betting-savvy fighters when announcing that they could no longer bet on organizational events. This meant that fighters on the roster were banned from betting on the contests, even if they had no connection to the concerned fighters.

The fighters could still be sponsored by betting companies, but were prohibited from using the services themselves. Rules were allegedly already in place to prevent fighters from betting on bouts they had any connection to, but this new ruling from the company has made it even harder for the fighters to get involved.

On the positive side, the restriction of fighter betting would make it harder and riskier for an athlete to fix a bout.