UFC fighter-turned-coach James Krause continues to be embroiled in controversy.
The Missouri native was an active UFC roster member from 2013 to 2022. The former welterweight contender faced names such as Jorge Masvidal and Bobby Green. He ultimately retired earlier this year, having been out of the octagon since a 2020 win over Claudio Silva.
In addition to being a successful fighter himself, Krause has his fingerprints all over the MMA community. Over the last decade, he’s helped build Glory MMA into one of the top gyms in the sport. He’s notably coached names such as Brandon Moreno and Megan Anderson into UFC title fights.
However, for all of his success, he’s currently coming under fire, not for his coaching, but for betting. Krause is a noted gambler, even having a popular podcast dedicated to his betting picks. The former UFC welterweight also runs a popular discord, where fans can get picks from him.
Despite being a known gambler for a while, James Krause is just now coming under fire. Earlier this month, Glory MMA product Darrick Minner lost by first-round TKO against Shayilan Nuerdanbieke. The stoppage came after the Krause-coached fighter suffered a knee injury.
Well, that’s how things looked on the surface. In the hours leading up to the contest, Minner was an underdog, albeit, a slight one. However, suddenly the line got massively tilted toward Nuerdanbieke. Most bets that came in were for him to finish the fight within the first frame. Along with that, Minner revealed the knee injury was a pre-existing one.
Currently, the fight is under investigation by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Along with Minner being suspended, Krause seemingly has been as well. Miles Johns, another Glory MMA fighter, revealed his coach had been suspended the day before UFC Vegas 65 last Saturday. The aforementioned Megan Anderson has also gone after Krause, accusing him of poor coaching, and having an affair with Laura Sanko.
New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement notified the state’s sportsbooks today that they are prohibited from taking bets on fights that James Krause is involved in “as a coach, trainer, promoter or fighter.”
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) November 20, 2022
Now, it seems the hits won’t stop coming. ESPN’s David Purdum was the first to report that the New Jersey Gaming Enforcement has informed sportsbooks to not allow any bets involving Krause. That would bar any betting involving him as a coach, promoter, trainer, or fighter.
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