As far as wagering is concerned, there was an inordinate amount of movement in the betting lines right before the UFC 193 pay-per-view (PPV) kicked off last November in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. So much so, that sportsbooks called the end result the "biggest loss ever suffered on a fighting event."
Blame Holly Holm, who broke the bank with her stunning, second-round knockout of Ronda Rousey.
That said, not everyone who rushed to the betting window was able to capitalize on "The Preacher's Daughter," who at one point was available at +850, because the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation banned Tabcorp from taking wagers.
From Sydney Morning Herald (via Bloody Elbow):
Victoria's gambling regulator banned Tabcorp from taking bets on the recent UFC cage fighting event in Melbourne, amid warnings by law enforcement agencies that the sport was vulnerable to corruption and money laundering by organised criminals.
"In determining the application the VCGLR formed a view that UFC does not have appropriate policies or measures in place as required by Victoria's gambling laws," a spokeswoman said.
UFC Executive Vice-President Tom Wright, citing the promotion's "robust integrity measures," was "baffled" by the decision.
I'm not naive enough to think sports aren't fixed from time-to-time (MMA was under investigation back in 2008 following this televised disaster), but I have a hard time believing anyone in ZUFFA would be on board with a fix when the return is nowhere near the risk.
You don't jeopardize $600 million in revenue to make a few bucks on a fight.
You also don't "fix" a bout by having someone beaten so badly they don't even know where they are or what they are doing. Flash knockout, bad stoppage, shady scorecards, maybe, but there wasn't anything at UFC 193 that would raise any red flags.
Well, that's according to the guy standing behind me with a black suit and billy club.