Numerous UFC competitors have been accused of breaching the law over the years. In terms of breaking the law, professional athletes are no less prone than the average person.
The most prominent members of the group have a long history of legal troubles, ranging from drug offences to alleged domestic violence and even murder. Even if not every instance will be as terrible as those mentioned earlier, they are nevertheless enough to prevent a boxer from becoming a champion and discourage potential viewers.
Tae Hyun Bang, a former lightweight contender in the UFC, was given a 10-month prison sentence for receiving bribes in connection with a fight’s attempt to be fixed. Bang was found guilty of receiving payments to have his fight against Leo Kuntz at UFC Fight Night 79 in 2015 thrown by the Seoul Central District Court in South Korea.
Three traders who organised the fix and gave Bang $92,160 USD were also given prison terms. One of the traders was supposedly MMA fighter Dae Won Kim.
“Match-fixing is a felony that harms both the sport’s and the nation’s credibility when it occurs in international competitions. Bang had a responsibility to play the game fairly, but he disregarded that duty and participated actively in the scam. However, we did account for the fact that Bang had won the fight and had given the money back afterwards.
In November 2015, Tae Hyun Bang made his promotional debut in South Korea against Kuntz after accepting bribes from the brokers. He allegedly bet over half the amount on Kuntz after accepting the bribe. He was supposed to fall behind 2-0 in the first round against Kuntz according to the plan.
After UFC officials discovered a drastic change in the betting odds that rendered Bang a significant underdog, both fighters were advised about the consequences of influencing matches. Bang quickly changed his mind after initially considering tossing the fight, and in a remarkable turn of events, went on to win the match by split decision.
In September 2016, Bang fought once more for the group after defeating Kuntz. He was, however, decisively defeated in Germany by Nick Hein. Since the match, he hasn’t engaged in professional combat.
What did UFC fighter Leo Kuntz say about Tae Hyun Bang allegedly taking bribe to fix fight?
The Seoul Central District Court convicted Tae Hyun Bang to 10 months in jail for collecting $92,610 (100 million won in South Korea) to stage a match against Leo Kuntz in November 2015.
Bang reportedly agreed to concede the battle to Kuntz and the first two rounds. He changed his mind, though, and went on to win the fight by a split decision. He reportedly changed his mind after being warned by UFC officials about possible match-fixing because the fight’s betting odds substantially changed in the days preceding the event.
When the investigation into the incident was made public, his opponent Leo Kuntz spoke with MMA Junkie and offered his thoughts:
“The UFC appeared to be aware that something was certainly wrong. They claimed it was a last-minute, huge weird swing, the largest they have ever seen in MMA. They warned me, “Hey, you guys should get ready for an investigation if either of you goes out there and doesn’t fight.”