Michael Johnson’s team issued their first remarks following the veteran’s last-minute fight cancelation at UFC 324 due to betting irregularities.
Johnson’s scheduled bout with Alexander Hernandez was scrapped in the hours before Saturday’s UFC 324 prelims amid suspicious betting movement toward a Johnson win. Johnson’s manager, Dave Martin, told Uncrowned’s Ariel Helwani in a statement Tuesday that the team were “obviously disappointed by the cancelation” but “understand and respect the UFC’s responsibility to protect the integrity of the sport.” Martin said Johnson is now focused on getting a fight rebooked “as soon as possible.”
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Martin’s full statement:
“We were obviously disappointed by the cancelation, as Michael had an outstanding training camp and was fully prepared to compete. That said, we understand and respect the UFC’s responsibility to protect the integrity of the sport. In today’s environment, particularly with the growth of regulated sports betting and heightened scrutiny across professional sports, these matters have to be taken seriously. We appreciate the open communication from the UFC throughout the process and our focus now is working with them to have Michael rebooked as soon as possible.
UFC CEO Dana White confirmed to reporters late Saturday night that betting irregularities were the reason behind canceling the Johnson vs. Hernandez lightweight bout.
“We got called from the gaming integrity service and I said, ‘I’m not doing this s*** again,'” White said, “So we pulled the fight.”
