Did Conor McGregor Violate UFC Rules with Million Dollar Gamble?
Conor McGregor may be in trouble with his employer.
As the UFC 307 main event between Alex Pereira and Khalil Rountree got underway, the Irish megastar placed a huge $1 million bet on either fighter to win by knockout or TKO.
“If you don’t take risks you won’t drink champagne,” McGregor wrote on X.
Of course, ‘Poatan’ went on to win the bout via TKO in the fourth round to retain the UFC light heavyweight title.
“I couldn’t pick a winner until the fight started, but I just knew there was going to be a KO,” McGregor posted after the fight. “A million on a KO by either fighter at 1/5. Good bet! $200,000 profit! NICE!!!”
Interestingly, McGregor shared the bet on X before almost immediately taking it down. He later shared it on Instagram before reposting it to the site formerly known as Twitter.
Is Conor McGregor in violation of the UFC’s athlete conduct policy?
It was a nice 200k pickup for the Irish megastar. However, per a memo sent to athletes in October 2022, UFC fighters are prohibited from gambling on any UFC fight, regardless of whether they are involved or not.
The decision was made following a gambling scandal involving former fighter and coach James Krause.
McGregor’s sponsorship deal with online gambling site Duelbits is still permitted under the new rule, but neither he nor any other athlete under UFC contract is permitted to bet on the outcome of a UFC fight.
The fact that McGregor quickly deleted the post suggests he may have become aware of his error, but it’s unlikely that he’ll face any real consequences from the UFC.
