The end result of UFC 162’s main event was so stunning, the internet exploded with bizarre theories and rumors soon afterward. From Anderson Silva throwing the fight to the idea that he simply had no interest in winning, baseless speculation was abundant.
One rumor that gained steam came from the offbeat website MiddleEasy.com, which posted an item saying that “someone allegedly bet $1 million on Chris Weidman” in Las Vegas, and that the wager was being investigated.
That quickly gained steam. Brazil’s influential Globo wrote about it soon afterward, and several American sites soon followed. The implication, given the unusually large wager, was that something was amiss. It got so bad that major sites felt compelled to offer reasons why Silva wouldn’t throw the fight.
The thing is, there is zero proof of the bet’s existence. In fact, the man who would have knowledge of such a thing had never even heard of the rumor, let alone the bet.
Nevada Gaming Control Board chief of enforcement Jerry Markling confirmed to MMA Fighting that his agency, which is tasked with criminal investigations related to gaming activities, is not looking into any $1 million wager related to UFC 162.
“While I cannot give you specific information about ongoing investigations, I can tell you that the Gaming Control Board is not investigating any dispute involving UFC 162 and a wager of that amount,” he said. “In addition, we do not have any information of any book having accepted a wager of that size on that event.”
One rumor debunked, but many others may continue to persist in some form. For those of us who refuse to wear tinfoil hats in the summertime, at least the possibility of a rematch has grown from doubtful to possible to probable in the days since the fight.