The UFC has released a letter to ESPN, pledging to keep its fighters from placing wagers on UFC fights, according to a Yahoo Sports report. UFC Chief Business Officer, Hunter Campbell, sent the memo to ESPN and stated the decision was in adherence to the UFC athlete code of conduct.
Members of fighters’ teams, along with “certain others,” are also included in the prohibition, Campbell said.
Campbell stated in the memo: "As the sport has grown over time, the overwhelming majority of states that regulate sports gambling have some prohibitions on inside betting activity.
"And this wasn't something the UFC advanced independently. This was something the UFC set forth in response from governmental agencies, aware we are also subject to governmental regulation as we're licensed promoters in virtually every state. It's the natural evolution of the sport."
According to the memo, a ban on wagering could also affect members of the fighters’ training teams, as well as family members and others who might have access to “inside information' relating to the athletes and their events."
Campbell went on to add that state regulators put overall prohibitions in place to hold the sport accountable and UFC-contracted fighters are not an exception to those rules. However, UFC-contracted fights can continue to serve as brand ambassadors for various operators and gaming companies.
He said in closing: "The UFC's contracted athletes are not exempt from these prohibitions, which state legislators and regulators have implemented for the purpose of maintaining the integrity of our sport.”
The UFC and DraftKings recently extended their collaboration to focus on another version of its 'Reignmakers' gamified digital collectibles franchise.
The new iteration, called Reignmakers UFC, is currently in development. The NFT-based games for the first season of Reignmakers UFC are scheduled to launch later this year.
