ABU DHABI – UFC fighters aren’t allowed to wager on themselves, according to a recent company memo distributed to athletes and their teams, and promotion president Dana White recently explained why he agrees with the policy.
“Gambling is opening up everywhere in every state,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters after UFC 280 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. “People who regulate gambling don’t think it’s a good idea for fighters to be betting on themselves – and I agree. … It just shouldn’t happen. It should never happen. It doesn’t look good – more optics than anything.”
The updated policy on wagering does not prohibit fighters from sponsorship deals with sports books. Many gambling websites pay athletes to post their predictions on social media, often with discount codes, to draw in new users to their books.
Wagering on fights was openly popular among fighters, who often touted how their families and teams, or even they themselves, won money on their victories. Frequently, athletes would tweet out bet slips of victorious wagers placed on themselves, friends, or teammates.
The full amendment made to the “UFC Athlete Code of Conduct” entitled “Wagering” reads:
“Athletes are prohibited from placing any wagers (directly or through a third party) on any UFC match, including placing any wagers on themselves. In most states with legalized sports betting, wagering by an athlete (directly or through a third party) on any MMA match put on by a promoter with which they are affiliated is illegal and may result in criminal sanction. Athletes should also be aware that in most states these same prohibitions apply to some or all of (i) relatives living in the same household as an athlete, (ii) an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals and staff, and (iii) any other person with access to non-public information regarding participants in any MMA match. An athlete that becomes aware or has knowledge of any wagering in violation of these restrictions must immediately notify UFC of such incident in accordance with this UFC Athlete Conduct Policy.”
It is unclear how the policy will be enforced (or to what extent) or what punishment will come for those who violate the newly-implemented rule.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.
