Just imagine the shock that Brandon Moreno must have gone through in January 2023, when he learned that his coach, James Karuse, was suspended by the NSAC because of a betting scandal. But Krause wasn’t the only one in the heated path. His teammates, Darrick Minner and Jeff Molina, also had to face the NSAC’s wrath as the latter faced a 3-year suspension. According to reports, Krause and Minner failed to let the UFC officials know about the fighter’s injury prior to his defeat at UFC Vegas 64. But what did Molina do to deserve such a harsh punishment? Let’s find out!

Molina, being one of Minner’s teammates, had complete knowledge of the featherweight fighter’s knee injury. Needless to say, the injury was serious enough to make Minner lose the bout within the first round on November 5, 2022. But after investigations, it was revealed that Molina, despite having knowledge of his teammate’s bad knee, placed a wager against him. And that was something that the investigating bodies considered a red flag.  

Following the hearing on 25 March 2025, the attorney general representative, Matthew Feely, pointed out, “Having direct knowledge of a serious injury sustained by a fellow fighter, Darrick Minner, Molina failed to inform the commission of the serious injury, violation of NAC 467.885, and instead of informing the commission, additionally placed a significant bet with a gaming entity on Minner’s fight.” On top of getting a suspension, Molina was also fined $235.56 in prosecution fees. 

Molina’s 3-year suspension will end on November 5, 2025. Maybe after that, we might get to see him back in action in the UFC. No doubt, Dana White was utterly furious about the scandal. He warned the fighting community that such actions could lead the way to federal prison. He said, “If you’re that f—ing stupid and somebody else wants to do it, knock yourself out. There’s not enough money in it to ruin your life and, not go to jail, go to federal prison.”

In July 2023, Molina injured his right hand. He was put on a 5-6 month recovery period. But the MMA realm kept asking him about his return. At that time, his suspension was indefinite. Talking about it on Instagram, he simply hoped that the suspension would clear out in Summer 2024 and he’d get to fight again. Nevertheless, Molina can now expect to make a return in November.

But what did Molina have to say about his suspension? With the entire fighting community booming with talk of the recent hearing, Molina had to defend himself. Let’s take a look at what the flyweight contender had to say about his temporary suspension. 

Jeff Molina drags in Conor McGregor as he reacts to his suspension

After the hearing on 25 March 2025, the 27-year-old came across a tweet by Jason Hagholm. In the tweet, the TV broadcaster reacted to NSAC’s verdict of suspending Molina for 36 months. He claimed that the flyweight fighter should have been suspended for life. But Molina wasn’t in support of that notion. He admitted that he wagered on the entire UFC Vegas 64 card. That was how he made extra money on the side. He wrote, “I had wagers on both sides of the fight and my “significant” bet was less than $500. The only thing I’m guilty of was continuing to wager on fights after the UFC emailed us telling us to stop.” 

Molina didn’t stop there. He decided to drag Conor McGregor into the picture. Well, ‘The Notorious’ does have a habit of sharing his bets on social media. Moline went on, “Getting a 3-year suspension for continuing to bet two weeks after getting an email that said to stop is insane. McGregor can post his million-dollar bet slip every month on a main event as a fighter on the roster, and no one blinks an eye. Def a double standard there.”

And as far as Hagholm’s tweet was concerned, the fighter with an 11-2 record stood strong in his belief that he didn’t deserve a lifetime ban for a $350 wager. He did admit that he made a mistake, and a 3-year suspension was more than enough. It did seem like he had learned his lesson. There was no way he would repeat what his 23-year-old self did. 

What are your thoughts on Molina’s suspension? Do you think the punishment was enough or more than enough? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.