Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke fight under investigation after suspicious betting line movement

Darrick Minner's UFC Vegas 64 clash against Shayilan Nuerdanbieke is now reportedly under investigation by an independent agency due to dramatic betting line movement right before it started. Minner dropped a first-round TKO loss to Nuerdanbieke after compromising his leg.

The odds changed drastically right before the fight, moving Nuerdanbieke from a -220 to -420 favorite. According to a report by ESPN, bettors didn't stop betting even after the odds became less attractive with rumors circulating that Minner was injured.

Minner threw a left-body kick and seemingly compromised his leg as he stepped back. The 32-year-old followed up with the same kick, folding up this time as his opponent closed in for the kill with a knee to the head. The finish came at 1:07 of the opening frame, making it three losses in a row for Minner.

As sportsbooks grew suspicious, they contacted U.S. Integrity, a Las Vegas-based firm that works with sportsbooks and state gaming regulators to monitor the betting market. The firm, which doesn't have any enforcement authority, has in turn altered the regulators of the suspicious line movement.

This comes after the UFC recently banned fighters, coaches and anyone else with 'insider information' from wagering on fights.

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Darrick Minner's coach James Krause's association with betting

Darrick Minner is coached by former UFC fighter James Krause. The 36-year-old hosts The 1% Club podcast and also owns a Discord channel where he shares betting tips.

While Krause last competed in 2020, he officially retired earlier this year having fully transitioned to coaching. After his announcement, Krause revealed that he made more money gambling in MMA than any other means of income. He told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour:

“I bet every single card just about every fight. I have a Discord [server], like 2,000 members in it, we crush it. Last week, we destroyed it. I take over people’s accounts and play for them, I do pretty well. I make more money gambling on MMA than I do anything else."

Watch James Krause's appearance on The MMA Hour below:

Krause has also not responded to a request for comment from ESPN. While some are accusing Minner of dropping the fight, others blame the dramatic line movement on an insider information leak.