James Krause – Syndication Server

UFC turns to ProhiBet to assist insider betting crackdown, shares presentation with fighters

As the James Krause investigation continues, the UFC has announced new measures to combat illegal insider wagering.

The UFC’s efforts to crack down on unethical and illegal insider betting continues.

On Wednesday, the promotion announced its partnership with ProhiBet, which will monitor for potential violations to ensure policy compliance.

“ProhiBet offers a comprehensive solution for monitoring compliance with these regulatory requirements via an encrypted decentralized cross-monitoring and notification platform,” the UFC said in a statement.

Additionally, athletes and their teams received an 11-minute video presentation by U.S. Integrity describing and reinforcing protocols. The video, which MMA Junkie obtained a copy of Wednesday, is titled “2023 UFC Education Course on Sports Betting.” It highlights betting terminology, who classifies as a prohibited bettor, what behaviors are prohibited, and the protocol for reporting an incident.

“An athlete who becomes aware or has knowledge of any incident that constitutes athlete misconduct must immediately notify UFC by contacting the UFC legal department,” the video states. “Failure to report an incident will constitute conduct detrimental to the integrity of UFC and will be subject to sanctions under this UFC Athlete Conduct Policy.

“Additionally, athletes are strongly encouraged to notify UFC by contacting the UFC legal department with information related to facts and circumstances they believe to be suspicious or indicative of integrity concerns regarding any UFC match or event whether originating with insiders or other third parties. Confidentiality concerning any such communications will be maintained by UFC to the extent practical.”

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The course comes as the latest in string of memos sent over the past nine months by UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell following an investigation into Glory MMA & Fitness head coach [autotag]James Krause[/autotag].

Krause, who is pictured in the presentation, was suspended and banned from coaching UFC fighters after betting lines moved suspiciously for a Nov. 5, 2022 bout involving one of his fighters, [autotag]Darrick Minner[/autotag], who also was later suspended.

According to ESPN, an FBI investigation is still ongoing pertaining to Krause, who allegedly ran offshore betting accounts. Additionally, UFC flyweight [autotag]Jeff Molina[/autotag], a member of Glory MMA & Fitness, remains suspended for his potential involvement in insider wagering.

“USI also turned over all anonymous tips, including details of the illegal ‘bookie’ operation, to the appropriate authorities who issued subpoenas to all involved individuals,” one presentation slide reads.

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Krause isn’t the only one pictured in the presentation. UFC featherweight [autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag] is also pictured.

“In June 2022, USI identified a fighter who placed a wager on himself to win a Dana White’s Contender Series event,” text below the photo reads. “The fighter placed a wager equal to their entire purse on themselves to win the fight.”

It continues, “While the ethics of betting on yourself can be debated, betting on athletic contests you are associated with or competing in is illegal in many jurisdictions under ‘Prohibited Bettor’ regulations.”

The presentation closes by reiterating a warning that violators will be caught and will likely severely damage their careers.

“U.S. Integrity has ample access to pertinent data sets. Our platform is robust and comprehensive,” it reads. “If something nefarious or malicious were to occur in relation to sports betting, we will find it and we highlight it to the appropriate parties and the relevant contacts.”

“… There’s no sum of money that’s worth it for any impropriety related to sports betting. Reputational harm alone will cost you a career and potentially result in criminal proceedings. It’s not worth it.”

16 UFC fighters past and present who run their own MMA promotions

Check out which UFC fighters of the past and present currently run their own promotions.

In the fight game, fighters fight and promoters largely promote. It’s a nearly exclusive rule, but there are some exceptions.

While promoters never fight, occasionally a fighter will promote.

An increasing trend in recent years, more and more combat sports athletes are testing out the waters of running their own promotions. Oftentimes, it’s a fighter who has some name recognition, buzz, or influence in the sport. There are exceptions to the rule, however – fighters who have just figured out how to run a regional promotion successfully.

There are the more obvious stars like [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag], who have used their big platforms to promote their recent dive into promoting. There are also others who have quietly promoted behind the scenes for years.

Scroll below to see which current and former UFC fighters currently run their own promotions.

Note: Promotions that have not held an event since before 2019 were not included in this list – and this list is not necessarily all-inclusive.

UFC betting scandal: A timeline of what we know about James Krause, government investigations

Here’s what we know about the UFC betting scandal involving James Krause and government investigations into fight fixing.

The UFC finds itself embroiled in one of MMA’s biggest controversies caused by suspicious betting activity surrounding a fight between Shayilan Nuerdanbieke and [autotag]Darrick Minner[/autotag], which has led to several government agencies, including the FBI, investigating the promotion over concerns of fight fixing.

At the center of it all is former UFC fighter and current coach [autotag]James Krause[/autotag], who cornered Minner during the first-round TKO loss to Nuerdanbieke that set everything in motion.

Below is a timeline of what we know about the ongoing UFC betting scandal.

(Note: This post will continue to be updated as developments unfold.)

Brandon Moreno details forced split from James Krause, coaching adjustments for UFC 283

Brandon Moreno’s camp for UFC 283 had a big unexpected change.

[autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag]’s preparation for his upcoming championship bout didn’t come under ideal circumstances.

The UFC interim flyweight champion was forced to split and cut all communication with his head coach [autotag]James Krause[/autotag] just a little over a month away from his fourth title fight with rival Deiveson Figueiredo at Saturday’s UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This drastic change came after the UFC issued a ban that prohibited fighters trained by Krause from competing in the octagon, as the Glory MMA & Fitness coach is currently being investigated for potential insider betting. This was a big shock for Moreno (20-6-2 MMA, 8-3-2 UFC).

“When I get the news about James, I was already in Kansas City training,” Moreno told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I was training with him, and we were doing everything well. Something that I’ve mentioned, is that out of all the bad, when the news came out we already had a game plan made. So in a way, I wasn’t affected in that sense. So anyway, I was in Kansas (City) and the first red flag was when he couldn’t be in Miles Johns’ corner when he fought Vince Morales. Then from there, James calls me one day and tell me everything that’s going on. …

“At first, it was hard because you start thinking, ‘Are you kidding me? I’m coming from a recent switch in teams, and now I have to look for a new team or a new trainer.’ That’s a lot of changes in such a short span. But anyway, I always try to turn the page as quickly as possible and look for what’s needed to solve the situation.”

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Moreno originally planned to keep things the same for his preparation for Figueiredo (21-2-1 MMA, 10-2-1 UFC), but with Krause out of the picture. He still was working with his boxing and grappling coaches in Las Vegas, along with his long-time training partners Marcelo Rojo and Masio Fullen.

However, after a chat with his manager, Moreno made a late addition to the team – one of the best coaches today.

“Once we knew that he couldn’t be with me, at that moment, we already had the game plan, so we were already working on it,” Moreno explained. “We knew what he had to do, the mistakes that we needed to address in the fight, and all those things. I was ready to just go with my other coaches and take on the challenge just us and keep a cool head.

“Then I had a conversation with Jason (House), my manager, and like you know, he’s a part of my career not only from a professional sense, but also a much closer manner. He said, ‘I know that you’re ready. I’ve seen you train, and you’re ready for whatever comes. But just in case something bad happens during the fight, a bad round or something – you never know. If something unexpected were to happen, it’s good to have someone with experience, someone that can give you good instructions with a cool head, someone that can keep your head in the fight.’

“So I said, ‘Ok, we’ll see,’ and that’s when Sayif Saud from Fortis MMA in Dallas spoke to Jason and said he wanted to help. So he came one day to Vegas, we worked, we had a few sessions and we began talking. He explained what he had in mind for the fight and, funny enough, his game plan was very similar to the one we had in place. He basically was thinking the same thing, so accepted him into the team and things worked out well.

“We closed out in an incredible way. We did a short camp, but it gave good results. I’m happy with the final result and that gave me a lot of confidence.”

“The Assassin Baby” admits Krause was missed, but he also feels training camp was up to par. It’s unknown what the result of the betting investigation will be and what that may mean for the Krause-Moreno partnership moving forward.

For now, Moreno is in full support of Krause and whatever comes won’t affect his personal relationship with him.

“I esteem James a lot and appreciate him,” Moreno said. “When I needed help, he was there 100 percent with me and opened the doors to his house. I know his family and he always treated me well. This situation won’t change that.

“… At the end of the day, if he made a mistake, he’s going to pay for it. But if nothing happened, I would like for the law to clear his name 100 percent. Time will tell, we’ll see what happens in the future.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.

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UFC’s Jeff Molina suspended for alleged ‘substantial’ involvement in ongoing James Krause investigation

(Editor’s note: Story updated at 8:35 p.m. ET to reflect new information from a UFC statement released to ESPN.)

UFC flyweight [autotag]Jeff Molina[/autotag] was formally suspended Tuesday by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) for allegations of “substantial” involvement in the “gaming scheme” that allegedly involved his coach, [autotag]James Krause[/autotag].

At a monthly meeting held in Las Vegas, Molina was handed a temporary suspension by the commission, which will continue until investigations conclude. An online database Tuesday showed Molina has been removed from the UFC’s fighter roster, however, he has not been released from the promotion pending the ongoing investigations, according to a statement released from the promotion to ESPN.

“Evidence has come to light, leading to allegations that respondent Jeff Molina was involved in some substantial way in the gaming scheme currently under ongoing investigation related to James Krause,” Nevada Attorney General’s Office representative Joel Bekker said. “Based on this evidence pursuant to NRS 467.117, executive director (Jeff) Mullen temporarily suspended the respondent’s license on Dec. 15, 2022. It is now being requested this suspension be continued pending the resolution of investigations and any subsequent disciplinary action.”

No further details were provided into the allegations pertinent to Molina’s involvement specifically. However, ESPN reported earlier this month Molina was quoted as encouraging members to join a betting group established and run by Krause.

“He’s trained w/ a lot of the fighters, lives and breathes this sport as a coach/fighter, & at times has the scoop on injuries — non-announced matchups — how fighters look like in camp, etc.,” Molina reportedly wrote in the group. “In stocks, this is called insider trading, in MMA betting it’s called James Krause. For the last 6 months, all my bills including mortgage and car note have been paid via Krause’s picks. Do yourself a favor and join the VIP.”

A former UFC fighter who transitioned into a coach for over a dozen UFC fighters, Krause was suspended weeks after significantly suspicious line movement occurred in the hours leading up to a fight that involvement one of his athletes, Darrick Minner.

On Dec. 2, the UFC issued a notice to all fighters restricting them from training under, or associating with, Krause. The same day, the promotion announced it released Minner from his contract.

Krause and Minner were both suspended by Nevada after they allegedly failed to disclose an injury. Minner suffered a leg injury early in the bout and was finished with strikes. The finish cashed much of the suspicious prop bet action. In the weeks that followed, several gaming commissions in North America issued restrictions on UFC wagering.

In late December, Molina was removed from a scheduled Jan. 14 bout and his license was listed as suspended in the official ABC database, MixedMartialArts.com, though there was no official word as to why until Tuesday.

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Report: Suspended coach James Krause allegedly worked for offshore online sportsbook

According to an ESPN report, UFC fighter Jeff Molina once wrote, ‘In stocks this is called insider trading in MMA betting it’s called James Krause.’

Former UFC fighter and Glory MMA & Fitness coach [autotag]James Krause[/autotag], a subject of an ongoing betting scandal investigation, worked as an intermediate for an offshore sportsbook, according to a new report.

Per a lengthy report published Thursday by ESPN, anonymous sources claimed they placed bets through Krause, who served as an agent for ABCBetting.ag since at least 2019. The sources claimed Krause offered a line of credit and referral kickbacks, and took payments through Venmo or Paypal.

Krause, as well as two of his UFC-rostered fighters, [autotag]Darrick Minner[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeff Molina[/autotag], were suspended indefinitely by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) in recent weeks after they failed to disclose an injury. Krause and Minner were suspended after a Nov. 5 bout was flagged for suspicious betting activity.

An unusual amount of bets came in on his opponent Shayilan Nuerdanbieke to finish the fight. Minner quickly appeared to injure his leg in Round 1. He was finished soon thereafter with strikes.

In the wake of the bout, multiple gaming commissions in North America halted wagering on UFC events, and multiple investigative agencies are now reportedly involved.

Minner was released from his contract, as the UFC in December banned its fighters from associating with Krause or training at his gym. Molina, who was scheduled for a Jan. 14 fight, was suspended weeks after.

Krause has yet to comment. When contacted by ESPN, Minner recently declined anything unusual happened pre-fight, though he admitted he suffered a minor knee injury prior to the fight. He declined to comment on Krause’s potential involvement with the sportsbooks.

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Prior to the implementation of anti-wagering language in the UFC’s fighter code of conduct, which was edited in October, Krause admitted to betting on fights, even those he was involved in (per The MMA Hour). Krause mentioned he took over other bettors’ accounts, seen as a potential method to evade betting limits.

Krause branded a podcast “1% Club,” which discussed picks, predictions and bets. He had a “1% Club” subscription-based chat group on the social platform Discord. According to the report Thursday, Molina was part of the Discord and encouraged others to join.

The NAC has its next batch of hearings set for a monthly meeting Tuesday in Las Vegas. Molina, as well as an unnamed “confidential respondent,” are listed on the agenda.

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Farewell, fighters: A list of former UFC champs and more MMA notables who retired in 2022

The MMA world said goodbye to more than 35 notable fighters in 2022, from former UFC champions to future UFC Hall of Famers and more.

MMA is a constantly evolving sport with a revolving door of athletes entering and exiting. Currently fighters from the era that helped make the sport so popular are beginning to trickle away from competition and hang up their gloves to move on to the next chapters in their lives.

If there’s one thing that’s well known about combat sports retirements, though, it’s that they often don’t last long. The urge to compete and, perhaps more importantly, get a payday will continue to drive fighters back, even well beyond their expiration dates.

In 2022, there was an uptick in notable fighters announcing they are retired, and we have a list of those who opted to walk away last year.

MMA stories of the year for 2022, No. 2: James Krause and the UFC betting scandal

The countdown of the top 5 storylines from MMA in 2022 continues with the UFC betting investigation centered around James Krause.

With just a few days remaining in the 2022 calendar, it’s time to put on a bow on the year that was and get ready to turn the page.

Before that can happen, though, we must examine the top storylines of the past year. That was the focal point in the final 2022 episode of MMA Junkie’s “Spinning Back Clique,” on which we count down the top five storylines.

It didn’t materialize until the final quarter of the year, but one of the biggest stories of 2022 in the world of MMA is the betting investigation involving the UFC and fighter-turned-coach [autotag]James Krause[/autotag].

After a 13-fight career with the promotion, Krause focused his attention on coaching, and quickly became one of the best in the game. However, his name became the center of attention of a massive scandal when abnormal betting activity was uncovered for one of his fighter’s bouts in November.

The initial ramifications of the ongoing investigation have been significant. Gaming regulators in Canada have stopped taking betting action on UFC fights, the UFC itself has banned Krause and his fighters, and other promotions are keeping their distance from the coach and his stable.

An issue this complex involves all aspects of the fight game, including Krause’s fighters who are now forced to change camps in preparation for upcoming bouts.

What is the potential fallout of this situation? Our panel of Mike Bohn, Nolan King and Brian “Goze” Garcia discussed the No. 2 storyline of 2022. Check it out in the video above. Then don’t miss the full episode below.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel.

Spinning Back Clique: 2022 in review for UFC, Bellator, PFL, ONE, plus judging, betting and Cain Velasquez

Join us for this week’s stream of “Spinning Back Clique” looking at the biggest news and topics in MMA.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Nolan King joined host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

2022 year in review: We dive into the UFC, Bellator, PFL and ONE Championship, in particular and wonder if there’s a new pecking order after the UFC’s spot at the top of the heap.
Changing of the guard: Each of the four major promotions got plenty of new champions this year. The UFC had eight new titleholders in 2022. There were four new champs in Bellator, five in ONE, and in the PFL, every 2022 season winner was a new $1 million champ with no repeats from previous seasons. Does that make MMA more fun, or is there something to be said for dynasty champions?
Judging in MMA: When even the UFC’s lead play-by-play voice, Jon Anik, says judging in MMA never has been worse, that could be the sign of a problem. The fallout from Doug Crosby’s back-to-back nights of odd scoring in Bellator and the UFC continues. What do we want to see improve for judging in 2023?
Gambling in MMA: Speaking of fallout, the story about betting on MMA is far from over. Former UFC fighter and highly regarded coach [autotag]James Krause[/autotag] and others in his circle are under investigation at the federal level for possible fight fixing. Given what we know so far, what are our takeaways?
The Cain Velasquez saga: Former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Cain Velasquez[/autotag] was arrested earlier this year on charges that included attempted murder. After more than 250 days in jail, he finally had a judge grant him bail, and he is free pending the outcome of his trial. He even got to take part in a lucha libre event in Arizona earlier this month. It’s a polarizing topic, but how do we feel about it so far?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above. Normally live, this week’s episode was pre-recorded.

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‘The best Brandon Moreno ever’: Coach Hector Vasquez says former champ laser focused entering UFC 283

Brandon Moreno’s training camp focus and stability is better than ever, his head grappling coach details.

UFC 283 approaches and while former flyweight champion [autotag]Brandon Moreno[/autotag] faces a change in the loss of [autotag]James Krause [/autotag]from his coaching squad, his head grappling coach says the level of focus and stability is better than ever.

That’s largely due to the tight-knit team Moreno crafted around him. For the past three fights, Moreno has comprised a boxing-style training camp around him. While he visited Krause in Missouri, much of his camp took place in Las Vegas, explained Hector Vasquez, who owns Cobrinha BJJ Las Vegas.

A protege of Rubens Charles Maciel, Vasquez is the first and only black belt to complete the “Super Slam,” which consists of ADCC, World Championship, Pan Championship, European Championship, and Brazilian Nationals titles.

He took a leap of faith, packed up his bags and moved to Las Vegas, where he brushed shoulders with prominent MMA figures like Sean Shelby, Ali Abdelaziz, and eventually Khabib Nurmagomedov and Javier Mendez.

One thing led to the next, and before long, Cobrinha BJJ Las Vegas emerged.

Now 45, Vasquez is fully focused on coaching, particularly with a limited number of high-level clientele including Moreno and rising UFC prospects Raul Rosas Jr., and Viktoriya Dudakova.

“I’m just blessed to have a great life and do what I love to do,” Vasquez recently told MMA Junkie. “It’s something I’ve always wanted my whole career of working a 9-5 job. I’m able to do something I have passion for. I’m just grateful.

Under Vasquez, Moreno has gone 2-1. He won the flyweight title against Deiveson Figuieredo, then lost it to the same opponent. In July he defeated Kai Kara-France to earn a fourth bout vs. Figueiredo, which will take place Jan. 21 at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Moreno entrusted Vasquez, as well as boxing coach Jorge Capetillo and muay thai coach Pedro Lopez Joya with key leadership responsibilities. Moreno also maintains a deep group of training and sparring partners around him including Marcelo Rojo and Masio Fullen.

“Right now, honestly there’s not really a leader,” Vasquez said. “We all know what we need to do. He believes in everybody. He believes in Capetillo. He believes in Joya. He believes in the wrestling coach. He believes in myself. Right now, like he told us, we’re going to keep working. We know what we need to do. He believes in us, so honestly, everybody is there for his best interest. Nobody has no ego. Everybody works together so well. That’s why I think the crew right now is stronger than ever.”

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On Dec. 2, the UFC banned Krause from coaching fights in the promotion and barred fighters from training under him or at his gym due ongoing “government investigations” into potential illegal betting activity.

Fighters who trained under Krause were allowed to remain in scheduled bouts as long as they immediately disassociated. That included Moreno, who was halfway through a title fight training camp.

Despite the adversity, Vasquez indicated Moreno’s true home base has always been Las Vegas. He also suggested Moreno is as focused as he’s ever been and is hungry to get back the UFC flyweight title.

“It didn’t affect us at all,” Vasquez said. “It is what it is. Brandon doesn’t get involved in that stuff. We try to keep him out of that. He’s very strong-minded. That’s what people don’t realize. This kid, there’s nothing that’s going to get in his way. He’ll fight and do what he’s got to do and figure it out. Even with everything that’s been going on, he’s straight-faced, back to work on Monday and was like, ‘Let’s go.’ Like I said, you’re going to see the best Brandon Moreno ever.”

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The eyes are on the prize – and that’s UFC gold. Currently, the lifetime series between Moreno and Figueiredo is 1-1-1, which sets the table for the first tetralogy in UFC history. Figueiredo might have gotten the most recent laugh in, but Vasquez feels confident Moreno will get the last one.

“Obviously, with the team, we go back and we look at all the fights, all the tendencies, everything that he took from the move to Arizona and those guys (Fight Ready MMA) what they added (to Figueiredo)” Vasquez said. “They made some adjustments. Of course, we need to make adjustments there. I think we make a lot of adjustments, just by seeing a lot of the stuff that we saw. I just feel like we’ve got to put the pressure. We’ve got to go back to what we did in the second fight and wear him out. He cuts a lot of weight and right now a guy that big that regains 20-25 pounds, you’ve got to wear him out. You’ve got to work and just keep cooking him until he breaks and take advantage like we did in the second fight.

“… (Our) coaches, everybody, the striking coaches, the wrestling coach, myself, we made a lot of adjustments after seeing what they were doing. I feel like we had a great game plan a while back, even with the Kai Kara-France fight. You saw a couple things that were different. He used his kicks more. Yeah, man. Honestly, if we were to fight next week, we’d be ready.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 283.

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