Jeff Molina Regrets Ignoring Warning Email From the UFC Before James Krause Betting Controversy Boiled Over

Jeff Molina has suggested that he regrets having ignored the UFC’s email that warned him and other UFC fighters from betting on UFC fights.

The said email was sent by the MMA organization to its athletes before the James Krause betting scandal took the combat sports realm by storm.

Jeff Molina Addresses UFC Email, Recounts James Krause Betting Debacle
The UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Lemos event in November 2022 featured a featherweight bout that saw Shayilan Nuerdanbieke defeat Darrick Minner via first-round TKO, which also featured a knee injury that hindered Minner’s movement.

The fight was later investigated for suspicious betting activity.

Minner allegedly entered the bout with a pre-existing knee injury, and some people who knew about it were reported to have bet against him to accrue monetary gain from the matchup. Incidentally, prior to the event, the UFC sent an email to its fighters indicating that fighters and closely connected personnel — like their coaches, teammates, family, etc. — are prohibited from betting on fights.

UFC fighter and MMA coach James Krause was deemed a key figure in the investigation. Fighters who continued their association with Krause and his Glory MMA & Fitness gym were barred from competing in the UFC. The Nevada Athletic Commission later hit Minner with a 29-month suspension. His training partner, UFC flyweight Jeff Molina, got a 36-month suspension for allegedly using his knowledge of the injury to bet accordingly. 

On “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Jeff Molina affirmed that he’d simply bet $350 on Nuerdanbieke and $2,000 on the fight card overall.

Recalling the UFC’s email, Molina stated, “Two weeks prior to that event, it was completely fine to do that. And then, we got an email two weeks prior to the Minner fight. And it was like, ‘Hey, UFC athletes are no longer allowed to wager on fights.’ And I made the mistake, saying, ‘Hey, this is an email. How serious are these guys?’”

The MMA fighter, who was released from the UFC after the betting incident, indicated that betting on fights was a way for fighters like him to earn additional income. He signaled that the betting line drastically changing is what made the entire situation look fishy, which, in turn, resulted in his suspension. Molina highlighted that he believes the lines massively shifted because word about Minner’s injury got out. 

Insinuating that a few other fighters still publicly bet on fights, Molina noted that he should’ve stopped betting after receiving the email.

“Fighters are still actively wagering on fights. They tweet about it all the time. I f**ked up. I should have stopped when the UFC said stop. It wasn’t worth the f**king $1000 I won that night on that card,” he admitted

Earlier this week, the BKFC bare-knuckle boxing organization announced that Molina had signed with them, but they later clarified that the announcement was premature because he’s still serving his suspension.

Nevertheless, the consensus is that he’ll join the BKFC after his suspension ends on Nov. 5, 2025.