Michael Bisping didn’t notice anything fishy as the controversial fight between Isaac Dulgarian and Yadier del Valle played out at UFC Fight Night 263.
UFC Hall of Famer Bisping was in the commentary booth alongside Daniel Cormier and Brendan Fitzgerald when betting favorite Dulgarian suffered a first-round submission loss to del Valle this past Saturday at the UFC Apex. The result is now under FBI investigation, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed Tuesday.
After suspicious betting movement trended toward del Valle (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) winning by first-round stoppage, he choked and tapped Dulgarian (7-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) inside four minutes. White said the promotion spoke to Dulgarian prior to the bout when red flags came up after the shift in betting odds, but the athlete assured the brass it was a non-issue. The fight then unfolded, and White said he contacted the FBI.
White told TMZ that it “definitely doesn’t look good” for Dulgarian, who has been cut from the UFC roster, exiled by his team at Factory X and has his purse held by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). There could be additional legal consequences if proven guilty, and although Bisping notes that processes must play out, he is puzzled by the poor judgment if the allegations are true.
“It’s kind of crazy that Isaac Dulgarian would do that,” Bisping told MMA Junkie. “We don’t know the circumstances or whatever. It’s being fully investigated, so I’m sure the truth will come out eventually. Such an idiot. A very promising young man, a great fighter, an excellent wrestling pedigree and now he’s thrown away his career completely.
“We don’t know the ins and outs. We don’t know if there’s some shady characters. This is some unsavoury characters. I feel as the sport has gotten much more professional these days, it’s kind of weeded out those people. It’s mainly true professionals or managers involved, but who knows. Maybe he had some personal troubles. Maybe some people from his old neighborhood. I don’t know too much about Isaac Dulgarian other than watching his fights and commentating. He made a massive mistake and he’s going pay, he’s going to pay the consequences.”
Bisping said he thinks the story with Dulgarian is getting “blown way out of proportion,” because he does not think this is a widespread or constant issue, despite other fighters claiming they have been approached about fight fixing (with several subsequently walking it back).
For Bisping, the situation largely boils down to being a human issue rather than a sport, organization or circumstantial one. He cites bad actors in all corners of the globe, but he does not see it as an opening of the floodgates to a bigger scandal.
“In January, it’ll be 20 years with the UFC,” Bisping said. “In any walk of life there’s people that are motivated to cheat. To bend the rules. Just like taking steroids. The shortcut in life. … As Dana said there, you don’t know for sure. But you’ve got to have more faith in yourself, and we don’t understand the full circumstances, but do you believe in yourself or not? Is that the path you want to take in life? He took the easy option, allegedly.
“It’s so foolish, it’s so dumb, it’s so stupid, it’s so short-sighted. … Obviously it’s a serious situation and UFC are going to act accordingly. Very, very unfortunate.”
Bisping said he had no knowledge of the chaos that was unfolding around Dulgarian until the aftermath of the event when the online community was buzzing. The result now has a stain on it, even though Bisping admits he didn’t notice anything sketchy in real time.
“I guess I would’ve like to have known,” Bisping said. “I would’ve kept an eye out for things. I’ll be honest, at the time, I know Isaac Dulgarian in his former fights has been a very, very good wrestler. … I didn’t know anything about it and at the time I just remember thinking, ‘Yadier del Valle is the real deal.’ He is the real deal, and he has a bright future, and it should’ve reflect negatively on him. This is all on Isaac Dulgarian – again, allegedly.”
To hear more from Bisping, check out his complete appearance on “The Bohnfire” podcast with MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn above.
