Cormier Reveals FBI Showed At UFC Apex For Fixing Probe

Daniel Cormier says he once spent an entire UFC Apex broadcast questioning a fighter's technical ability before learning federal agents were investigating the bout for suspected fixing.

The former two-division champion detailed the experience on the In the Bayou podcast, explaining that he repeatedly criticised the competitor's grappling during the live commentary without knowing authorities had flagged irregular betting patterns. "One time they had a fight at the UFC Apex and this one dude was grappling. He was so horrible at grappling," Cormier said, per Sherdog. "I'm on commentary wondering how this kid could be so bad. These are basic things you should be able to do and defend."

FBI Already On Site When Fighter Lost

Cormier said UFC staff contacted him after the bout to explain that the fighter was suspected of deliberately trying to lose and that FBI investigators were already present at the venue. "Come to find out this dude was trying to throw the fight but not doing a good job of it," he recalled. "The whole time I'm just on him. Then they called me and said, 'DC, the fact that you were calling him out and you had no idea what was going on… When the kid lost the way that he did, they took him to the back because the FBI was already there."

Cormier did not identify the specific fight. He added that betting lines are now monitored closely for suspicious movement and that regulators have pulled multiple bouts when patterns appear irregular. "The FBI starts watching these betting lines and if something looks off, they pull the fight. They've done that a number of times now," he said.

The Hall of Famer praised the UFC's efforts to maintain competitive integrity while acknowledging that fixing remains a concern across combat sports. The promotion has tightened protocols around betting monitoring in recent years as wagering on mixed martial arts has expanded across legal US markets.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Daniel Cormier reveals bizarre UFC commentary story involving alleged fight-fixing