Hernandez Breaks Silence Over UFC Cancellation Due to Suspicious Betting Concerns
UFC lightweight fighter Alexander Hernandez broke his silence after his fight against Michael Johnson was canceled just hours before UFC 324, due to integrity concerns.
The 33-year-old's fight was pulled from the card after integrity monitors spotted suspicious shifts in betting lines that couldn’t be explained by injury news or normal betting behavior.
UFC president Dana White said the organization acted immediately after being alerted by a gaming integrity service, adding that the fight was forfeited to protect the event's credibility and was immediately removed from the best sports betting sites.
Hernandez, who was preparing to continue a career-best four-fight winning streak, addressed the situation in a detailed social media post, strongly denying any wrongdoing.
“I would never dishonor myself or this sport by not giving my absolute all in competition. I have been thru a great deal in my career to be in the auspicious position I am in. I do not take that lightly,” he said.
While acknowledging the FBI’s involvement and the UFC’s response, he also stressed he was keen to get back to competition quickly, noting he is in the prime of his career and does not want to lose valuable time to an unresolved investigation.
The incident is the result of extra scrutiny from the UFC after previous betting integrity-related cases, including the release of Isaac Dulgarian last November.
Hernandez, who holds a 15-7 professional record and gained early success with a 42-second knockout of Beneil Dariush, now faces uncertainty as officials review betting data from UFC 324. At this stage, it is not clear whether the Johnson fight will be rescheduled.
Missouri regulators reject NCAA push to limit college prop bets
Concerns about gambling integrity are also playing out at the state level. In the Missouri sports betting market, gambling regulators have rejected a request from the NCAA to restrict prop bets on college athletes, despite recent federal indictments tied to alleged game-fixing in men’s college basketball.
The Missouri Gaming Commission declined to change its rules, with Commission Chair Jan Zimmerman explaining that there was insufficient information to justify the restriction, given that the state’s sports betting industry launched at the start of December.
Missouri bans prop bets involving athletes from in-state colleges, but allows bets to be placed on those from out-of-state colleges. The NCAA argues that individual player prop bets can lead to corruption, harassment, and bribery, pointing to a federal case involving more than 39 players. But industry groups say that regulated sportsbooks help to spot suspicious activity and warn that tighter limits could push bettors toward offshore or illegal operators.
The Commission noted that there was insufficient evidence at the time to justify the rule change and would prefer to wait to monitor market behavior, compliance trends, and integrity data as they become available in the state.
