Marc Montoya, owner and head coach of Factory X mixed martial arts gym, is defending himself and his business after his former pupil, Isaac Dulgarian, was reportedly released by the UFC amid concerns about fight-fixing.
The UFC reportedly cut Dulgarian this week after his loss to Yadier del Valle at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night. UFC’s betting integrity partner, IC360, is investigating the fight after a suspicious number of bets poured in late on underdog Del Valle. The story has some people concerned about potential fight-fixing on a wider scale.
Montoya, Dulgarian’s recent coach, addressed the controversy on Tuesday, claiming his business is being unfairly attacked.
“My gym is being attacked, my integrity is being attacked, and I just want to first and foremost say that we have nothing to do with any of the allegations being brought upon us,” Montoya told “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Tuesday.
Montoya refused to speculate on what happened with the Dulgarian fight. He said his job was to “lead and not react” on behalf of his team. Montoya claimed to know nothing about sports betting.
“I’ve actually never even placed a sports bet in my entire life — I couldn’t tell you how to do it,” Montoya said. “This is my life’s work, and you can bet your ass that I would never, for any amount of money, sell my integrity or my word — because in life, that’s all you have.”
Montoya confirmed that he’s parted ways with Dulgarian amid investigations into his fight. Dulgarian is no longer permitted to train at Factory X.
“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 said. “… Whether he’s guilty or he’s innocent, in my prediction, Isaac Dulgarian is not gonna fight again.
“So, does it matter where he claims 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.”
Concerns around fight fixing have grown in recent years. In 2022, the UFC released Darrick Minner after suspicious line movement before his loss to Shayilan Nuerdanbieke. Minner and his coach, James Krause, also received suspensions from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Gambling scandals are under the microscope right now after NBA players and coaches were arrested in a wide-ranging FBI probe into bettors using non-public information to place bets, plus illegal and rigged poker games.
“Like many professional sports organizations, UFC works with an independent betting integrity service to monitor wagering activity on our events,” UFC wrote in a statement. “Our betting integrity partner, IC360, monitors wagering on every UFC event and is conducting a thorough review of the facts surrounding the Dulgarian vs. del Valle bout on Saturday, November 1. We take these allegations very seriously, and along with the health and safety of our fighters, nothing is more important than the integrity of our sport.”
