Outside Source
Michael Johnson has been on the UFC roster since 2010. | Getty/UFC
Michael Johnson’s manager has released a statement regarding the cancellation of his fighter’s bout at UFC 324.
Johnson was scheduled to face Alexander Hernandez on Jan. 31 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, the lightweight contest was scrapped a few hours before the event when online oddsmakers flagged the bout for irregular betting patterns. Both UFC athletes have been quiet since then, but Dave Martin released a statement to Yahoo! Sports on Johnson’s behalf. The manager did not specifiy what might have caused the fight to garner that type of attention.
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Hoping to Be Rebooked
“We were obviously disappointed by the cancellation, as Michael had an outstanding training camp and was fully prepared to compete,” Martin stated. “That said, we understand and respect the UFC’s responsibility to protect the integrity of the sport. In today’s environment, particularly with the growth of regulated sports betting and heightened scrutiny across professional sports, these matters have to be taken seriously. We appreciate the open communication from the UFC throughout the process and our focus now is working with them to have Michael rebooked as soon as possible.”
At the UFC 324 post-fight press conference, promotion CEO Dana White confirmed that there were no chances taken with the bout after concerns regarding suspicious betting activity surrounding a matchup between Isaac Dulgarian and Yadier Del Valle this past November.
“That’s what it is. Happened again,” White said. “We got called from the gaming integrity service, and I said I’m not doing this s—t again. We pulled the fight.”
A runner-up on Season 15 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Johnson has been on the UFC roster since 2010. “The Menace” has compiled a 16-15 record during his tenure and is currently in the midst of a three-bout winning streak.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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