MMA fighter Jeff Molina used inside information to bet on a November 2022 UFC bout that was flagged for unusual wagering activity, Nevada Athletic Commission officials said during a hearing Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Molina, who was with the UFC at the time, had direct knowledge of an undisclosed injury of a fellow fighter and placed "significant bets" on the outcome of a Nov. 6, 2022, fight between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke, according to Nevada deputy attorney general Matthew Feeley.
"This is one case of betting with inside information on the injury," NAC commissioner Jeff Mullen said during the hearing.
The Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC), a regulatory body that oversees combat sports in the state, originally suspended Molina, 27, in January 2023. Feeley said Molina did not inform the commission of the injury, admitted to the violation and agreed to a three-year suspension that will end this November. Feeley added that Molina submitted a letter to the NAC explaining his "outlook" on the situation.
Molina did not attend the hearing, according to Feeley. Attempts to reach Molina for comment via social media were unsuccessful.
Minner, 34, was suspended in December 2022 for failing to disclose a leg injury before his fight with Nuerdanbieke. That suspension will end March 29, Feeley said.
Minner could not be reached for comment. When asked by ESPN in January 2023 whether anything improper happened before the Nov. 5 fight, he said, "Absolutely not. Nothing out of the ordinary." He told ESPN he had a minor knee injury before the fight that he injured further during the bout.
The UFC declined comment to ESPN.
Molina and Minner's trainer at the time, James Krause, was also suspended by the NAC. Krause's suspension has not been adjudicated.
Minner lost to Nuerdanbieke by TKO early in the first round of the fight. Sportsbooks reported unusual betting patterns in the hours ahead of the fight, with heavy wagering against Minner and for the bout to last fewer than 2.5 rounds. The odds on Neurdanbieke moved dramatically ahead of the fight, from -220 to -440. The suspicious activity prompted multiple investigations, according to the UFC.
The UFC released Minner on Dec. 2, 2022, and instructed fighters to disassociate with Krause or be barred from competing. Krause, a former fighter and coach, openly bet on MMA events. An ESPN investigation found that he worked as an agent for an offshore bookmaking operation.
Neither Minner nor Molina has fought in any high-profile events since 2022.