Jeff Molina believes he has received fair justice.
The Nevada Athletic Commission suspended Molina for three years for his role in a 2022 betting scandal. He bet on a fight involving his teammate Darrick Minner at UFC Vegas 64. It turned out Minner was injured, which caused significant changes in betting odds favoring Shayilan Nuerdanbieke, who quickly won by TKO in the first round.
The commission found that Molina knew about Minner`s injury, didn`t disclose it, and still bet on the fight. His suspension is retroactive to November 2022 (UFC Vegas 64) and ends on November 5, 2025.
After the suspension news, Molina responded to criticism that he should have received a lifetime ban.
Molina clarified on Twitter that he bet on the entire fight card as a way to earn extra money when not fighting, as he watches fights a lot. He bet on both sides of the Minner fight, and his largest bet was under $500. He admits his mistake was continuing to bet after the UFC warned fighters to stop.
Molina thinks a three-year suspension for betting after a warning is excessive, pointing out a double standard by mentioning Conor McGregor publicly posting million-dollar bet slips without consequences.
Molina stated his total bets were only $350 for the event and admitted betting with knowledge of Minner`s injury was wrong.
Molina disagrees with the idea of a lifetime ban for his $350 bets. He acknowledges his mistake in continuing to bet and believes a three-year suspension is more than enough. He denies being a “fight-fixing mastermind” and says the injury situation and information leak are common in fighting.
Before the scandal, Molina was a rising flyweight fighter in the UFC, with a 3-0 record. His last win was against Zhalgas Zhumagulov in June 2022.
Minner received a 29-month suspension and is now eligible to compete. Both Molina and Minner were removed from the UFC roster after the scandal.
The investigation into their coach James Krause`s involvement is ongoing.
