Leading up to UFC 326, Michael Johnson was the favorite against Drew Dober for the anticipated main card fight. But just hours before the clash, the Colorado native started getting huge backing on the betting odds and eventually became a 2-1 favorite. As suspicion began to rise, major betting networks decided to pull the fight from their boards. But Dober’s knockout victory fanned the suspicion further.

Following the showdown, UFC CEO Dana White addressed the situation in front of the media and assured everyone that the fight’s legitimacy remained intact, as the promotion did not find any conclusive evidence that anyone had fixed the bout before the event.

“No. Zero…” Dana White said at the UFC 326 post-fight presser. “And a weird post that somebody posted that a kid was kidnapped and some crazy s—t, all bulls—t,” he added. 

After the whole fiasco surrounding the Isaac Dulgarian vs Yadier Del Valle fight, the UFC became very strict about any unusual shifts in betting odds. Since then, the promotion has constantly monitored fights with its dedicated betting integrity partners and has also worked alongside the FBI to address such issues. Even before UFC 326, Michael Johnson found himself linked to a similar situation before, as officials scrapped his bout against Alexander Hernandez at UFC 324 after noticing unusual betting shifts.

This time, however, Dana White and the UFC brass showed confidence that the suspicious betting movement did not pose a major concern, which ultimately led them to let the fight proceed. But while White quickly dismissed any betting-related concerns surrounding the Michael Johnson vs Drew Dober fight, another bizarre rumor surfaced that forced the UFC CEO to address it publicly.

For those unaware, some social media posts spread a conspiracy theory claiming that local gangs had paid  Johnson to lose the fight in the second round. But the rumor went even further, alleging that gang members had kidnapped the nephew of ‘The Menace’ to force the outcome, which White strongly dismissed, calling those claims completely false. 

Now, after the UFC CEO addressed the situation, Drew Dober also spoke about the unusual betting shifts and admitted that they surprised him as well.

Drew Dober reacts to UFC 326 betting claims against Michael Johnson

When it comes to UFC 326’s suspicious betting movement, Dober’s precise second-round knockout over Johnson only added more fuel to the ongoing speculation. However, the Colorado native revealed that he initially thought the entire situation was just sarcasm, and assured that the UFC never contacted him regarding any such suspicion.

“Not backstage, it was right before I left I saw like one tweet,” Drew Dober said at the UFC 326 post-fight press conference. “I actually didn’t even know if it was sarcasm. But no… I’m here hearing about it for the first time and I just don’t follow betting. I’m not a gambler and I wouldn’t even know how to. So this is all new to me… Nothing,” he concluded.

To Dober’s credit, the lightweight powerhouse has not shown a history of unusual betting shifts in his fights. Furthermore, the 37-year-old often knocks out opponents in crucial moments, even when he enters the bout as an underdog. So while the betting shift remains a fact, only the promotion can clarify whether any fighter was involved once it reveals more details about the situation.

That said, what do you think? Were the fighters actually involved, or was it just a naturally unusual betting swing? Let us know in the comments section below.