NSAC suspends Molina for 'substantial' involvement in Krause's gaming scheme
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has suspended ranked UFC flyweight Jeff Molina, citing "substantial" involvement in the "gaming scheme" related to the James Krause investigation, according to a statement obtained by Nolan King of MMA Junkie.
Molina's official ban comes after MMA recordkeeper mixedmartialarts.com had listed him as suspended by the NSAC in December. The site did not provide a reason for his suspension, ESPN's David Purdum and Marc Raimondi reported.
"(The NSAC) temporarily suspended the respondent's license on Dec. 15, 2022," a spokesperson for the Nevada attorney general's office said in the statement. "It is now being requested this suspension be continued pending the resolution of investigations and any subsequent disciplinary action."
The UFC won't schedule Molina in a fight - in Nevada or elsewhere - "pending the outcome of the commission's investigation," the promotion told MMA Fighting.
The NSAC suspended Krause in November in relation to a betting scandal within the UFC. The controversy came to light when a Nov. 5 fight in Las Vegas between Darrick Minner - who was coached by Krause - and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke was flagged for suspicious betting activity.
Minner lost by first-round TKO, and sportsbooks subsequently reported unusual betting interest in the veteran losing in the first and for the fight to last fewer than two-and-a-half rounds. The NSAC also suspended Minner.
Krause worked as an agent for ABCBetting.ag, reports Purdum, citing sources who placed bets with Krause as far back as 2019. He admitted last March to running an online betting group to which Molina belonged.
The investigation into Krause involves multiple government entities, including the FBI, which is collecting information and has spoken to people regarding the Minner-Nuerdanbieke fight, according to Purdum and Raimondi.
Molina, 25, is the No. 14-ranked fighter at 125 pounds. He's won all three of his fights since making his UFC debut in April 2021 after a successful appearance on "Dana White's Contender Series" in 2020. Molina most recently earned a split-decision victory over Zhalgas Zhumagulov in June.