UFC 324 bout canceled after it was subject of suspicious betting patterns

A scheduled fight between Michael Johnson and Alexander Hernandez was removed from Saturday’s UFC 324 card at T-Mobile Arena.

UFC president Dana White confirmed the lightweight fight was removed because of suspicious betting activity.

It’s not a new experience for the organization. UFC fighter Isaac Dulgarian was investigated for potentially being part of a fixed bout last year when he was submitted early against Yadier del Valle after money on del Valle flooded the market.

“It happened again,” White said after the conclusion of the event. “We got called from the gaming integrity service and I said, ‘I’m not doing this (expletive) again.’ So we pulled the fight.”

White confirmed the FBI is still investigating the first incident and will look into this latest matter.

Rumors of unusual betting patterns on the bout between Johnson and Hernandez started to circulate Friday, about 24 hours before the bout was to take place.

Money flooded the market on Johnson with speculation someone inside the camp of Hernandez had leaked out the fighter was potentially going to enter the cage with a pre-existing injury.

Several sportsbooks had lowered limits on the fight or removed it from the wagering menu before the UFC’s decision to pull the fight from the card.

“Due to some irregular betting patterns, we will be keeping the limits lower than usual on tonight’s Michael Johnson vs. Alex Hernandez bout,” a statement from Dave Mason of Bet Online read. “Additionally, there will not be props on this fight.

“This is a standard measure, not a judgement (sic) on the fight’s integrity, possible injury etc. However, to protect both the bettors and the house, we will err on the side of caution.”

Johnson had been a sizable underdog until the influx of money on him to win the fight drew the odds closer to pick’em.

Dulgarian is currently suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission pending the results of an investigation. He was released from the organization.

White said no decisions have been made about the status of Johnson and Hernandez moving forward.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.