UFC veteran Jeff Molina has been suspended for 36 months because he was involved in the betting scandal related to his coach, James Krause.
The former top flyweight learned about his punishment on Tuesday during a meeting with the Nevada Athletic Commission. This followed an agreement with the state attorney general. Molina also has to pay $235.56 for prosecution costs.
The situation started with Molina’s teammate Darrick Minner. Minner fought Shayilan Nuerdanbieke at UFC Vegas 64 in November 2022 and lost by TKO in the first round. Suspicion arose because betting odds for the fight changed a lot just before it began. Minner became a big underdog before losing quickly in just 67 seconds.
Krause and Minner were initially suspended for not reporting an injury before the fight. However, the real investigation was about a possible betting scandal. This scandal even caused some sportsbooks to stop taking bets on UFC fights.
Molina was initially suspended in December 2022 when an investigation started about betting issues related to Krause. On Tuesday, Matthew Feeley, a deputy attorney general for Nevada, said that Molina`s suspension was because he didn`t tell the commission about Minner’s injury and then bet on the fight`s result.
Feeley stated during the meeting that Molina knew about Minner`s serious injury but didn`t inform the commission, which is against regulations. Instead, Molina placed significant bets on the fight`s outcome.
The suspension is backdated to the date of Minner’s fight, so Molina can compete again on or after November 5, 2025.
Krause has been essentially banned from the UFC. The organization quickly cut ties with him and warned that any fighters still associated with him would also be removed from the UFC.
UFC officials announced in December 2022 that fighters who choose to continue being coached by Krause or train at his gym will not be allowed to participate in UFC events while government investigations are ongoing.
Molina has been mostly silent since his first suspension. He was removed from the UFC roster in January 2023.
Now, he will face his punishment. The 27-year-old fighter will be eligible to compete again in November 2025.
