UFC lightweight veteran Michael Johnson was set to face surging contender Alexander Hernandez at UFC 324 last night. However, on the day of the fight, something strange happened. Folks in the know started noticing some unusual betting patterns on the fight, and it wasn’t long before that news reached the UFC. Dana White made a prompt decision to pull the fight from the event altogether, just hours before the two were about to clash.

“That is what it is [wagering flag]. It happened again,” White said during the post-fight presser when asked about the Johnson-Hernandez fight cancellation. “We got called from the gaming integrity service, and I said, ‘I’m not doing this s— again.’ So, we pulled the fight. The FBI is already deep into all of this stuff. So, sure, this one will be next.”

Last month, Hernandez was a favorite, but just hours before the fight, the odds shifted in Johnson’s favor. BetOnline’s sportsbook brand manager, Dave Mason, even posted about it online, sharing the irregular patterns. He further mentioned that they would be keeping the limits lower because of that, though he did not question the integrity of the fight. It was a standard measure, but the fight was canceled later.

It was the fourth fight on the first Paramount-CBS card that got scrapped. But such instances are not new. Last year, the UFC found itself at the center of controversy after Isaac Dulgarian’s fight against Yadier del Valle at UFC Vegas 110 was allegedly influenced by illegal betting.

Before the massive underdog del Valle submitted ‘The Midwest Choppa’ in the first round, a large volume of money began pouring in on him, raising suspicions of betting irregularities.

The situation drew the FBI’s attention, and the agency opened an investigation into the fight. Back then, White mentioned in an interview that the FBI and its director, Kash Patel, would look into the incident and that any athlete involved in fixing would be sent to prison.

This time around, Dana White and his team were far more cautious, opting to cancel the fight before the event.

With the details of the UFC 324 betting controversy and the fighters’ futures still uncertain, time will tell what decision the promotion and authorities ultimately make. However, beyond that situation, fans also seemed to have another issue related to betting at the first Paramount+ CBS event.

The UFC CEO also addressed the live betting problem at UFC 324

UFC 324 kicked off 2026 in exciting fashion as Justin Gaethje defied the underdog tag to win the interim lightweight title for a second time, becoming the first fighter to do so in the promotion’s history. But while fans enjoyed the action, live betting appeared to be an issue due to an apparent broadcast delay. Addressing those concerns, Dana White said the delay was just a couple of seconds and not as significant as some made it out to be.

“If you’re on a delay, depending on how the delay is, you probably won’t be able to live bet. By the time you wanted to bet on somebody, it would probably be over. But even then, the delay has to be 15 or 20 seconds or something. It’s not like some huge delay in the broadcast,” Dana White stated during the post-fight presser.

While the UFC CEO did not seem overly concerned about the delay impacting live betting, he pointed out that he has experienced similar situations while watching fights abroad.

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“You can tell that when I watch the fights in other countries, whether I’m on vacation or something. I’m in the group text with the matchmakers, and they’re talking about stuff I haven’t seen yet. But it’s only like a 20 or 30-second delay. I don’t know the answer to that question,” he added.

With betting concerns and last-minute cancellations surrounding the event, do you think these issues actually affected UFC 324 and its viewership? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.