With just a few hours left before it unfolds at Perth’s RAC Arena, UFC Fight Night Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates has, for the most part, avoided any major controversy. Still, that doesn’t mean issues have stayed away altogether.

While it has largely avoided the usual suspects, including fight cancellations due to injuries and weigh-in misses, attention has now shifted after some outlets reported unusual betting patterns surrounding a fight on the UFC Perth main card.

“Unusual betting movement has cast a spotlight on one of the fights scheduled for UFC Perth, with sportsbooks flagging activity around the flyweight bout between Steve Erceg and Tim Elliott,” read the report on MMA News.

Citing information shared by online sportsbook BetOnline, it added that the fight between the two flyweight contenders is receiving unusually heavy betting compared to other bouts on the card.

So much money is being placed that sportsbooks could face significant losses depending on the outcome. As a result, they’ve had to quickly adjust the odds.

“Some major line movement on Tim Elliott in recent days,” wrote Aaron Bronsteter. “Erceg was a consistent -400 or higher favorite one week ago, and it has dipped all the way down into the -180 range.”

In line with that movement, a number of experienced bettors have placed big bets on Elliott, even though he was not expected to win. Because of this, sportsbooks have been forced to adjust the odds to reflect his improved chances.

Turning to the fighters, Tim Elliott, 39, from Arkansas City, is making his fight debut in Australia. The MMA veteran, currently ranked No. 11 in the flyweight division, is on a two-fight winning streak after his loss to Muhammad Mokaev three years ago.

Thirty-year-old Erceg, meanwhile, is a local favorite who challenged Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight title two years ago. After a stretch that saw him suffer three consecutive losses, he finally secured a win in his bantamweight debut this past August.

Despite that recent run, Erceg remains the betting favorite.

A day-old post on the UFC’s Instagram account showed him at -230 odds against Elliott’s +190. Meanwhile, on BetOnline, it currently stands at -181 in Erceg’s favor, with Elliott at +156.

To be clear, no instance of wrongdoing has been reported around the fight.

However, recent events have kept such situations under scrutiny, particularly the incident at UFC 324.

UFC’s betting issues under scrutiny

Organizers canceled the lightweight bout between Alexander Hernandez and Michael Johnson at the event headlined by Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett, which marked the UFC’s inaugural event under the Paramount deal, following suspicious betting patterns.

Reportedly, a significant amount of money came in on the underdog, Johnson, raising concerns that someone might have had insider information. There were also rumors that Hernandez was injured and that details were leaked to bettors.

As a result, the UFC stopped the fight, and authorities took over the investigation.

Months before, at a UFC Fight Night headlined by Steve Garcia and David Onama at the UFC Apex, controversy surrounded the featherweight bout between Yadier del Valle and Isaac Dulgarian.

Reportedly, the UFC allowed the fight to proceed despite receiving a warning from betting watchdogs. Dulgarian lost the bout under questionable circumstances and was subsequently released from the promotion. Later, Dana White revealed that federal authorities were investigating the matter.

So, it was no surprise that Johnson vs. Hernandez was pulled from UFC 324 to avoid another incident like Dulgarian’s. Fans will hope nothing unusual occurs as UFC Perth approaches its final stages.