UFC is all over the headlines, and even mainstream media is covering it. That’s great for UFC, right? Well, no! And now No. 8-ranked heavyweight Derrick Lewis has entered the picture. If you haven’t been living under a rock, chances are you have heard about the betting scandal that rocked the UFC early this month. Featherweight Isaac Dulgarian suffered a first-round rear-naked choke submission to underdog Yadier del Valle at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Shortly after the fight, Dulgarian was released from the promotion. 

Reports then surfaced of suspicious betting activity right before the bout. His odds as the favorite plummeted, and his quick submission loss raised serious questions about whether the fight had been fixed. Dana White later addressed the situation with TMZ, revealing that IC360 had alerted them in advance. The promotion then notified the FBI, which has since launched an investigation. While the probe continues and Dulgarian’s guilt hasn’t been proven, Derrick Lewis has resurfaced some of his old comments.

Derrick Lewis knew it all along

Speaking to The Schmo, aka Dave Schmulenson, during the opening of the first Dave’s Hot Chicken outlet in Conway, Arkansas, Derrick Lewis revisited his old comments. Schmulenson brought up the recent gambling controversy, asking Lewis about his past claim that UFC fights were “scripted.” “Oh, I believe they’re listening now,” Lewis replied without hesitation. “I’ve been saying that it’s all scripted. Everyone believes it now. So, you know, thank me later.”

When asked how he knew about it, ‘The Black Beast’ made a shocking revelation. “It’s in the contract,” Lewis said during the interview. “It’s all in the contract. Most of these fighters… They don’t know how to read. So, you know, I read it line for line. Line for line from start to end. Start to end. All 20 pages.” This follows Lewis’s similar remarks before his UFC Nashville main event in the Music City in July. 

Ahead of his fight against Tallison Teixeira, Lewis encouraged fans to bet on him, claiming the fight was scripted. “It’s scripted,” Lewis previously told Ariel Helwani. “It’s part of the script. The whole UFC is scripted. It’s part of the plan, so July 12th, they want me to win by first-round knockout.” Lewis went on to win the fight exactly as predicted—by first-round knockout. However, there’s one catch to all this. 

Lewis, known for being a master troll, seemed to be up to his usual antics earlier this year when he made those comments—simply giving fans something to talk about. And now, with the UFC betting scandal dominating headlines and the public consciousness, Lewis appears to be stirring the pot again.

Speaking of which, Lewis has revealed that he expects to return to the Octagon in January if things go according to plan. Regardless, as Lewis used the situation to troll people a little more, one of Dana White’s biggest rivals is enjoying the ordeal. 

Oscar De La Hoya rips into Dana White

Dana White might not be a fighter, but he does have rivals. One of his biggest rivals, former world champion turned promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, has taken aim at White and TKO Group after the betting scandal. De La Hoya wasted no time mocking White on Instagram. “News came out this week that I cannot ignore, and one of my enemies is in boiling hot s—t,” he said.

“My friend Dana White and the UFC are being investigated by the FBI for allegedly fixing over 100 fights.” While De La Hoya’s claims were exaggerated, that didn’t stop him from taking further shots. “These TKO guys are scumbags! Everything you touch turns to absolute s—t. And now you have the FBI crawling up your a—? Good f—king luck,” he added. 

“Dana’s having a terrible week—but I’m having a great one.”

Having said that, both Derrick Lewis and Oscar De La Hoya appear to be enjoying the troubling news of the betting scandal in UFC. However, what’s your take on their statements?