The fallout of the UFC Vegas 110 "betting scandal" continues, with noted fight camp Factory X cutting ties with now-former UFC featherweight Isaac Dulgarian.
Factory X head coach Marc Montoya addressed the issue during Tuesday's episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, and denied any involvement in suspected betting irregularities, which included a massive money shift to Yadier del Valle, Dulgarian's opponent on Saturday.
del Valle went on to win the bout in the opening round, via a rear-naked choke. Dulgarian was heavily criticized, including on the UFC Vegas 110 post-fight show, for his lack of submission defense and poor performance overall. IC360, the UFC's betting integrity partner, had informed the promotion of suspicious betting activity ahead of the event. While they did speak to the fighters involved, the fight was allowed to move forward.
"My gym is being attacked, my integrity is being attacked, and I just want to first and foremost say, we have nothing to do with any of these allegations that are being brought upon us," Montoya said, speaking with Helwani on Tuesday. "People have asked me what my opinions are. To speculate right now is not my job. My job is to right now continue to lead and not react. And with that said, we as a team, myself as a person, I've never been involved in any type of betting format. I've actually never even placed a sports bet in my entire life. I couldn't tell you how to do it. And so my job has always been to train these guys to fight and win, train these guys to win in life, and those are my two jobs. I take that very serious, this is my life's work. You can be your ass that I would never, for any sort of money, I would never sell my integrity or my word, because in life, that's all you have."
Montoya went on to call it a "very unfortunate situation," one that is "still unfolding."
"I'm not here to speculate, I'm hear to speak facts."
Montoya did speak with Dulgarian about the allegations, when the UFC approached the fighter prior to the bout. Word of the betting irregularities had already begun to fly.
"First and foremost, as a coach and as a person, I care about my fighter, so there's a conversation that needs to be had. We had the conversation about allegations, he reassured me he wasn't involved, and I have no reason not to believe him," Montoya said on that front.
The Factory X head coach added that he was hoping the allegations were not true. That said, he went on to confirm that Isaac Dulgarian was no longer part of the team. That, after being with Dulgarian through several UFC fights.
"We had a conversation on Sunday, it was real brief. The conversation was that he was cut from the UFC, and unfortunately, there's an investigation that is being had, and ultimately, that he's not part of this Factory X team because of everything going on," Montoya stated on the gym parting ways with the fighter. "And that was ultimately the conversation."
"Whether he's guilty or he's innocent, in my prediction, Isaac Dulgarian is not gonna fight again. And so, does it matter where he claims, where he's training? Ultimately, where we sit today is in just a crazy mess, with all these allegations, and so, the least of his concerns right now would be where he's at and where he's training."
Montoya, when asked about the possibility Dulgarian might be innocent, replied "Ultimately I can't speculate. That's the FBI's job. I'm waiting, just like you are and the rest of these people are, to figure out whether or not this is true. Or where he goes. And so at the end of the day, I can't speculate. It's not my job. That's the FBI's job."