UFC Prohibits Athletes From Betting on Fights

As part of its updated “Athlete Code of Conduct,” the UFC is now prohibiting its fighters from betting on any fight within the promotion, regardless of their level of involvement. The UFC notes that before the amendment, most states already prohibit athletes, along with their teams and close ones, from wagering on events they’re affiliated with.

To curb violations that may result in criminal charges, prevent inside betting, and maintain the integrity of the sport, the changes have now been put in place. That being said, fighters are still allowed to take sponsorship deals with betting sites such as Stake which often pay athletes to post their predictions.

“In order to assist our athletes in understanding their obligations under the laws of the majority of states in which sports betting is permitted, and in further support of these integrity measures, UFC has incorporated a wagering prohibition into the UFC Athlete Conduct Policy expressly prohibiting athletes from wagering on any UFC match,” Hunter Campbell, UFC Chief Business Officer writes in a statement addressed to athletes and managers.

Like boxing, the UFC is rooted heavily in sports betting with many fighters in the past known to bet on themselves. In comparison, professional boxers are usually allowed to bet on themselves to win, though they’re not allowed to pick the method and time of the victory.

Take a closer look at the UFC’s terms below.

UFC just issued this memo to fighters and managers regarding a change in their athlete conduct policy:

UFC fighters are now prohibited from gambling on any UFC fight, regardless of if they are involved or not. They can still be sponsored just not allowed to bet at all. pic.twitter.com/6zhuIITxmx

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 17, 2022

Elsewhere in sports, Floyd Mayweather claims a $1 million USD payout for answering a call for an exhibition bout with Deji.