Bellator president cites ‘integrity and honor’ in MMA in supporting regulators
Bellator president Scott Coker supports the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspending MMA coach James Krause and the UFC barring fighters who stay with Krause’s Glory MMA gym.
Coker responded to an inquiry from MMA Fighting on the steps the athletic commission and the UFC are taking while investigations play out around potential betting irregularities surrounding the November 5 bout between the Krause-coached Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke.
“As a lifelong martial artist, integrity and honor have been the foundation upon which I have built my career as a Mixed Martial Arts promoter, and I believe that it is of utmost importance that the integrity of MMA remains unquestioned,” Coker wrote in his statement. “It is my understanding that certain regulatory agencies have taken action that they deem necessary to ensure that any appearance of impropriety is removed from our sport, and I support those actions.
“Bellator MMA is a promotion that highly values the importance of independent regulation of our sport, and we will continue to abide by the mandates of the regulatory bodies which sanction and oversee our events.”
The ongoing investigation into the fight, which took place at UFC Vegas 64, kicked off after the betting line on Nuerdanbieke moved from -220 to -420 and bets came in on Nuerdanbieke to win via knockout.
During the early moments of that fight, Minner’s knee buckled in the first exchange of the fight. Nuerdanbieke finished him via TKO shortly afterward.
Gambling watchdog U.S. Integrity immediately notified sportsbooks of the irregular line movement and opened an investigation into the fight. The UFC and NSAC followed shortly afterward.
Minner’s coach, James Krause, became an immediate person of interest for many fans and pundits following the investigation, as Krause had recently made headlines for operating a popular Discord channel where he gave betting tips. The channel has since been closed along with a similarly focused YouTube account.