Today the Korea Herald reports that criminal charges are being pursued against former UFC fighter Bang Tae-hyun for allegedly agreeing to take a dive at UFC Fight Night 79.
In an interesting twist the fighter apparently had second thoughts prior to the bout and went on to a decision victory.
The Herald reports as follows:
South Korean prosecutors said Monday they have indicted a mixed martial arts fighter for his involvement in a match-fixing scam.
Bang Tae-hyun has been accused of taking a bribe of 100 million won ($87,950) from match-fixing brokers in exchange for throwing a bout at the Ultimate Fighting Championship event in South Korea in 2015. He will face a trial without detention.
According to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Bang agreed to lose the contest against Leo Kuntz at UFC Fight Night 79 in Seoul. The scam, however, didn’t succeed as the lightweight fighter apparently changed his mind at the last moment and went on to beat Kuntz with a split decision.
Bang reportedly decided not to throw the match after UFC officials warned him about fight fixing following a sudden shift in betting patterns on gambling websites. The 34-year-old was first listed as the slight favorite against Kuntz, but just hours before the fight the UFC officials caught drastic changes in odds that made him the underdog and his American opponent the overwhelming favorite.
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