UFC fighter fires back: “I would never dishonour” the sport

UFC fighter Alexander Hernandez has publicly hit back in the controversy surrounding the cancellation of his UFC 324 bout.

The sportsman took to social media to respond to allegations following his pulled fight with Michael Johnson, denying any involvement in suspicious betting patterns.

Hernandez hits back

“I would never dishonor myself or this sport by not giving my absolute all in competition. I have been thru a great deal in my career to be in the auspicious position I am in. I do not take that lightly. I do not take my work or the work of others lightly,” the fighter said on Instagram.

As we reported, UFC chief Dana White was blunt in his summation of the decision to take the bout off the 324 card.

Dana White says Hernandez/Johnson being pulled was due to a wagering flag:

We got called from the Gaming Integrity service and I said I'm not doing this shit again, so we pulled the fight. pic.twitter.com/pvny355GtT

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) January 25, 2026

“It happened again,” White said at the media event, as shared on X by stats analyst Jed Goodman. “We got called from the gaming integrity service, and I said, ‘I’m not doing this s*** again.’ So we pulled the fight.”

White not content to allow any betting irregularity mar UFC

What White was referring to was the public fallout from a 2025 UFC betting scandal that brought the FBI and wider media spotlight on the sport.

Our coverage showed White’s unhappiness at the allegations of wrongdoing and his vocal commitment to imposing penalties on fighters involved in any form of match fixing.

White dismissed the impact of betting and match-fixing in the sport at that time, saying, “Now people are saying, there are hundreds of fights (involved in fixed outcomes), that is total bullshit, clickbait bulls***. There are not hundreds of fights being investigated, clickbait.”

UFC’s zero-tolerance on betting involvement

Hernandez and Johnson are now subject to White’s zero-tolerance policy on match fixing, which he detailed in a conversation with TMZ.

He said, “If you try to do this (contest fixing for money), we will be your worst enemy. We will immediately go after you, guns ablazing with the FBI and anyone else we need to get to make sure you go to prison.”

Hernandez concluded on Instagram that he was aware that due process and regulations had to take centre stage in light of the irregular patterns.

“I understand the FBI is doing their job. I understand the UFC is doing their job. I am trying to get back to doing my job as quickly as possible. I hope this matter is resolved with expedience. I am in the prime of my career. I do not want my time stolen,” the post finished.

Featured Image: UFC 282: Quarantillo v Hernandez.

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