Marc Montoya, the owner and head coach of Factory X mixed martial arts gym, is defending himself against allegations concerning his fighter, Isaac Dulgarian, who was recently released by the UFC amid suspicions of fight-fixing.
The UFC reportedly cut Dulgarian following his defeat to Yadier del Valle during a recent UFC Fight Night event. The UFC’s integrity partner, IC360, is conducting an investigation due to an unusual spike in betting on the underdog, Del Valle, leading to concerns about potential fraud in the sport.
Montoya asserted on Tuesday that his gym and his integrity are being unjustly called into question.
“My gym is being attacked, my integrity is being attacked, and I just want to first and foremost say that we have nothing to do with any of the allegations being brought upon us,” Montoya stated during his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Tuesday.
Montoya refused to relay any speculation about the events surrounding the fight, emphasizing his strategy to lead without reacting on behalf of his team. He expressed unfamiliarity with the concept of sports betting.
“I’ve actually never even placed a sports bet in my entire life – I couldn’t tell you how to do it,” he added. “This is my life’s work, and you can bet your ass that I would never, for any amount of money, sell my integrity or my word – because in life, that’s all you have.”
Montoya also confirmed that he has severed ties with Dulgarian amidst the ongoing inquiries into his fight, highlighting that Dulgarian is not allowed to train at Factory X anymore.
“The conversation was that he was cut from the UFC, and unfortunately, there’s an investigation that is being had, and, ultimately, that he’s not part of this Factory X team because of everything going on,” Montoya explained.
Concerns regarding match-fixing have escalated in recent times, with the UFC having previously released Darrick Minner following suspicious betting activities before his loss to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke in 2022. Minner and his coach, James Krause, faced sanctions from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for their involvement in the matter.
Gambling scandals are increasingly under scrutiny, particularly after investigations into NBA players and coaches involved in a broader FBI inquiry concerning betting based on privileged information and fraudulent poker games.
“Like many professional sports organizations, UFC collaborates with an independent betting integrity service to monitor wagering activity on our events,” the UFC stated. “Our betting integrity partner, IC360, oversees betting on every UFC event and is carrying out a thorough assessment of the details related to the Dulgarian vs. del Valle matchup on Saturday, November 1. We treat these allegations very seriously, focusing on maintaining the integrity of our sport, alongside the health and safety of our fighters.”
