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.
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.