It’s no secret that MMA fighters occasionally gamble. Some, however, are more well-known to partake in betting and gambling than others.
In this article, we’re going to look at all known examples of MMA fighters who gamble or have gambled at some point.
Dana White
Dana White is the president of the UFC with a $500 million net worth. Not really a player, but we can’t skip mentioning him in the article because of his close ties with gambling. Most notably, he was banned from the Wynn and Palms casino in Vegas due to his high-stakes style.
He is a well-known gambling aficionado and loves to bet on sports and play casino games for money. Allegedly, he has some remarkable blackjack skills that put him on the top consistently, allowing him to make some insanely high-stakes bets and win large sums of money. As an undisputed real money blackjack master, he won as much as $7 million in a single session during a lucky streak!
Casinos don’t like consistent big winners and White was banned because of that simple reason—He won big too often that it became almost uncomfortable for some.
Krause and the Lot
Recently, there were reports of suspicious betting activity tied to MMA coach James Krause. All fighters involved with Krause are temporarily banned from all UFC events and awaiting investigations.
The story started with a fight between Shayilan Nuerdanbieke and Darrick Minner in Las Vegas on November 5, 2022. Several oddsmakers and media houses noted some suspicious betting activity just before the fight.
They were quick on the uptake and serious allegations were flouted. ESPN reported that US Integrity was reportedly investigating the fight.
Days after the incident, James Krause, who is Minner’s coach, was told that his license had been suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Soon afterward, licensed sportsbooks were prohibited from taking wagers on fights involving Krause in any capacity, including as a coach, trainer, promoter, or fighter.
The fighter-turned-coach trains players like Brandon Moreno. He also ran a Discord community called the 1% Club and is a notoriously known gambler himself.
Ricco Rodriguez
You’re very likely to already know about the story of Rodriguez.
It’s popularly known that UFC fighters can bet on themselves. They can’t bet on their opponents to ensure that they give it their all during a fight. Using that, Rodriguez bet on himself as a heavyweight UFC champion.
Not only did he win the championship, but he also made $400K from that wager!
Even apart from that, Rodriguez has been known to bet on UFC quite frequently and make some serious money doing that.
Conor McGregor
As one of the best and most insolent UFC fighters, McGregor has deep pockets and a loaded bank account. Not all of his wealth is a direct result of his wins and endorsements, however.
McGregor loves to gamble though he hasn’t been in any major news involving any big win or loss. He likely doesn’t bet on himself or even if he does, those amounts are not big.
The rags-to-riches UFC superstar also organizes after-match parties in Vegas and gambles in different games all throughout the night. To some, his wealth might be irksome with his luxury lifestyle and yacht pictures on Instagram, but his story of how he comes from poverty to today, enjoying millions and the highest-end luxury that money can buy is something out of a movie.
His striking abilities are well-known and so is his famous left-hand knockout power. His success in gambling, however, is moderate at best.
Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva, popularly nicknamed the “Spider” is a reputed MMA fighter and simply one of the best in UFC. He has some amazing punching ability. Silva is famous for his betting habits.
It’s well-known that Silva visits a nearby casino every chance he gets. He places bets on different games and not just MMA or fighting sports. Reportedly, Silva likes to play lower stakes as it’s more profitable in the long run.
He is also involved with a few sports betting websites. Not only does he bet on sports himself, but is officially the partner of a few websites and has promoted them in the past on his social media posts.
In Conclusion
Whether MMA fighters bet or not, you always can! There are many ways to bet on MMA, but we highly recommend you stick to a small budget when starting—Especially if you have never bet in your life before.
Which of these fighters did you know about? Let us know in the comments below!