James Krause's betting scandal investigation involving FBI reportedly spills into other fighters

It’s probably fair to say that there have been few fights in recent years shrouded in as much controversy as the featherweight bout between the James Krause-trained Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke.

The clash took place on the preliminary card of a UFC Fight Night event last November, and saw Nuerdanbieke pick up a victory via TKO in just over a minute of the first round.

Just days after the bout, though, it was announced that there was an investigation being made into its outcome due to what was labelled a “suspicious betting line movement”.

In the aftermath of this incident, Minner was cut from his contract with the UFC, while James Krause was suspended from coaching. Moreover, members of his Glory MMA team were barred from competing in the promotion.

In recent months, news on Krause has seemingly gone quiet, although it’s well-known that there’s still an investigation into his conduct when it comes to gambling is still ongoing.

Today, though, journalist Mike Russell posted an intriguing allegation on Twitter:

“Hearing the James Krause investigation is still developing and has expanded to others in the industry and that the FBI has been contacting select fighters with offers of financial compensation and immunity to inform on involved parties.”

A follow-up Tweet added the following:

“FWIW, the others being investigated have no links to Krause or his team and have a history fo questionable betting.”

It remains to be seen where this story goes, but it may be fair to suggest that we haven’t heard the last of issues surrounding the UFC and its fighters when it comes to suspicious gambling.

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James Krause scandal: Have any other unrelated fighters been implicated in betting incidents?

James Krause is undoubtedly the most infamous name when it comes to betting scandals in the UFC, but the former lightweight contender is not alone in this area.

Last October, it was announced on Twitter by Ariel Helwani that the UFC had essentially banned its fighters from gambling on any bout in the octagon, regardless of if they were involved or not.

Despite this, strawweight contender Sam Hughes seemed to freely admit to flaunting these rules during an interview after her win at UFC 287.

The event saw Hughes take a unanimous decision over opponent Jacqueline Amorim, after which she stated that her boyfriend had bet $1000 on her to win the clash.

This went directly against the UFC’s directive that fighters, coaches, teammates or family members should not bet on any fight in the octagon.

Despite this, as of the time of writing, there have been no repercussions for Hughes, which could partially explain why a wider investigation into betting in the UFC is alleged to be taking place.