Suspended MMA Coach James Krause Reportedly Worked As Agent For Online Sportsbook
He has been suspended since December.
James Krause reportedly worked at an offshore sportsbook, a new report said.
The former UFC fighter and Glory MMA & Fitness coach has been in the spotlight ever since the bout of his UFC-rostered fighter, Darrick Minner, versus Shayilan Nuerdanbieke was flagged for suspicious betting. Now, a lengthy report published by ESPN quoted anonymous sources who claimed that they placed bets through Krause.
The report states that Krause worked as an agent for ABCBetting.ag since at least 2019. He reportedly offered a line of credit and took payments through Venmo or PayPal.
Hours leading up to Minner vs. Nuerdanbieke, the odds had shifted drastically and was hugely in favor of Nuerdanbieke to win within the first round – and that’s exactly what happened. Minner was finished in the first round after he seemed to have injured his leg. Minner reportedly kept quiet about his injury before the bout.
Since then, Krause, Minner and UFC flyweight Jeff Molina – who is under Krause – have been suspended indefinitely. Krause was also banned from betting by a New Jersey Gaming Enforcement.
UFC President Dana White said fight fixing is now “a huge concern” for the UFC. The news followed the promotion’s announcement of the crackdown of betting; UFC fighters and their teams were prohibited from placing bets, even if they were not involved with the fight.
Krause is a noted gambler and even has a Discord and podcast, “1% Club,” which is dedicated to picks, predictions and bets. The report said that Molina was part of the Discord and told others to join.
“He’s trained w/ a lot of the fighters, lives and breathes this sport as a coach/fighter, & at times has the scoop on injuries — non-announced matchups — how fighters look like in camp, etc.,” Molina reportedly wrote in the group. “In stocks, this is called insider trading, in MMA betting it’s called James Krause. For the last 6 months, all my bills including mortgage and car note have been paid via Krause’s picks. Do yourself a favor and join the VIP.”
The NAC will hold their next set of hearings on Tuesday.