Chael Sonnen claims it's too early to cry foul play over Darrick Minner vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke betting line controversy
The UFC featherweight clash between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke is being investigated by an independent agency due to dramatic betting line movement in the lead-up to the bout. According to UFC veteran and analyst Chael Sonnen, it is too early to cry foul play regarding the whole episode.
To give more context, Sonnen was referring to Kimbo Slice's infamous 2008 knockout loss against Seth Petruzelli. The bout came under investigation after Silce suffered a 14-second KO loss against the last-minute replacement Petruzelli.
As far as Sonnen remembers, the fight drew suspicion due to irregular betting patterns in the immediate lead-up. 'The American Gangster' explained that a huge bet of half a million dollars had come in on Kimbo to lose.
However, Sonnen remembers the guy getting paid his dues and Slice being cleared of the charges. The 45-year-old said on his YouTube channel:
"I think the guy got paid on his half a million. I don't think they tied it into Kimbo, a relationship, or anything corrupt... Sometimes things look really obvious and you think somebody's perverse or you think that there's a conspiracy at play, you think somebody has acted inappropriately. I think to get to that conclusion based on the information we have now is very premature. Save your opinion. Reserve judgement. Let's see how this story plays out."
Watch Sonnen's comments on the Darrick Minner vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke fight in the video below (7:00):
The bout between Kimbo Slice and Seth Petruzelli came under investigation after Pertuzelli claimed that Elite XC had offered him money to keep the fight standing, which would be an advantage for Slice.
UFC launching its own investigation on Darrick Minner vs. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke bout
Darrick Minner suffered a first-round TKO loss after compromising his leg in the initial seconds of his UFC Fight Night clash against Shayilan Nuerdanbieke. The odds changed dramatically right before the fight, with money pouring in for Darrick Minner to lose.
what happened to Darrick Minner that everyone else knows?????? https://t.co/7dRMzWcXnI
Concerned sportsbooks contacted independent investigation agency, U.S. Integrity, after the money flow did not stop despite the odds becoming much less attractive for Nuerdanbieke.
The UFC, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ESPN, has now released a statement on the situation. While the UFC will have their betting integrity partner, Don Best Sports, look into the matter, they claim to have no proof of foul play yet. The statement read:
"Like many professional sports organizations, UFC works with an independent betting integrity service to monitor wagering activity on our events. Our betting integrity partner, Don Best Sports, a leading global supplier of real-time betting data for North American sporting events, will conduct a thorough review of the facts and report its findings. At this time, we have no reason to believe either of the athletes involved in the bout, or anyone associated with their teams, behaved in an unethical or irresponsible manner."
Statement on UFC regarding Saturday's Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke fight that attracted suspicious betting activity: https://t.co/Zt2cULJT9v