UFC fighter notches big upset, then happily admits boyfriend committed potential code of conduct violation
There is never a great time to admit you or a person close to you has committed a potentially serious violation of the UFC code of conduct, but «minutes after the biggest win of your career» probably falls somewhere toward the bottom.
That was the apparent fate of one Sam Hughes, a UFC strawweight who notched a big upset over Jaqueline Amorim in the early prelims of UFC 287 then said something she will likely come to regret minutes later.
Speaking to reporters at her post-fight news conference, Hughes happily told them her boyfriend had bet $1,000 on her to win at around +400 odds and that was she planning to personally enjoy his winnings.
Hughes’ comments:
«My boyfriend told me he put a grand on me, which I wish he wouldn’t have told me that, but he owes me a very good dinner, I’ll tell you that much … [He told me] like a couple days ago, I think was a +400 or something like that, so I was like ‘I love it, I love it.'»
When asked how much of the winnings she felt entitled to, Hughes joked «all of it.»
Anyone who has been following the UFC recently, or is just generally familiar with how sports leagues treat gamblers within their ranks, will probably see the problem here.
Athletes, or anyone close to them, are not supposed to bet on their sports, especially their own events. The UFC made this their explicit policy less than six months ago when it updated its code of conduct to specifically forbid acquaintances of fighters from betting on any UFC events.
Under its wagering section, the UFC’s code of conduct states:
Athletes are prohibited from placing any wagers (directly or through a third party) on any UFC match, including placing any wagers on themselves. In most states with legalized sports betting, wagering by a UFC athlete (directly or through a third party) on any UFC match is illegal and may result in criminal sanction. Athletes should also be aware that in most states these same prohibitions apply to some or all of (i) relatives living in the same household as an athlete, (ii) an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals and staff, and (iii) any other person with access to non-public information regarding participants in any UFC match.
One would imagine a fighter’s boyfriend falls under the umbrella of «any other person with access to non-public information regarding participants in any UFC match.»
Hughes’ win by unanimous decision, which was a three-round thriller that saw Hughes escape several submission attempts from the heavily favored Amorim, improved her record to 8-5. We’ll see if she gets a chance to add to that record anytime soon.
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