Investigation launched
The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) is officially investigating the professional heavyweight boxing match that took place between Dave Allen and Dorian Darch for potential match-fixing.
sportsbooks sent alerts to the relevant authorities after receiving suspicious betting activity
The probe relates to British boxer Allen’s third-round knockout win over Darch. A number of significant sportsbooks sent alerts to the relevant authorities after receiving suspicious betting activity for the fight.
The British Boxing Board of Control will be working alongside the UKGC on the case.
Operators report spikes in bets
According to one of the major sports betting operators, the odds on an Allen victory in the third round quickly dropped following a flurry of significant bets, with the price dropping down to Evens from 5/2.
Other sportsbooks also saw a similar spike in bets on this market for the fight, which was set to have a total of six rounds on Sky Sports.
Response from the authorities
Robert Smith, general secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control, spoke to Sportsmail about the investigation being carried. He touched on the conversations it has had with the UKGC in relation to the fight.
Smith said the boxing organization has a good relationship with the UKGC. The board will be waiting to see what findings the commission’s investigation will lead to.
He added, “We do not want to speculate. We will wait to hear back from them. They are looking into the matter.”
Outcry on social media
Followers of the match and its aftermath took to social media channels to post their reactions.
One of the commentators for the fight, Adam Smith, said he had seen both Darch and Allen having a coffee together on the morning of the fight in a hotel. A number of spectators commented online following the stoppage of the fight, with one maintaining the fix was “clear as day.”
Two fighters rebuke allegations
Both fighters addressed rumors via social media. Darch joked about the match-fixing claims on his Twitter account, saying: “Should have chucked a couple of quid on myself if I knew lol.”
Allen has taken the allegations in a more serious fashion, saying he will fully cooperate with any investigations. He also said, “A few of my mates had a lot of money on the points win and it didn’t come in. But I am not the sort of guy who picks a round to win. I’m not really good enough to do that.”
Despite the denials from the two boxers, the investigation into the matter will continue.