Polymarket Trader Turns $500 Into $252K After UFC Makes Yet Another Scoring Error
TL;DR
A Polymarket trader turned a $500 bet into $252,000 profit after the UFC made a scoring error for the second time in two weeks. The trader identified the mistake by reviewing the official scorecard.
Key points
- Polymarket trader turned $500 into $252,000 profit
- UFC made a scoring error for the second time in two weeks
- Trader noticed the error by reviewing the official scorecard
- Bruce Buffer misread the fight's outcome
- Fight was later corrected to a majority draw
Bruce BufferChris PadillaMarQuel MederosUFC 327
In brief
- A Polymarket trader walked away with $252,000 in profit after the UFC incorrectly identified a fight’s winner for the second time in two weeks.
- An X account linked to the Polymarket trader said that they had noticed the error by looking at the bout’s official scorecard.
- The incident shows how athletes’ performances aren't the only factor that can influence the perceived outcome of spotting events among bettors.
Winning bets on combat sports often hinge on kicks and punches, but a Polymarket trader notched a massive payday by taking advantage of the UFC’s latest “scoring error.”
For the second time in two weeks, UFC announcer Bruce Buffer misread a fight’s outcome, enabling a trader to place a $500 bet that spiked to more than $252,000 on Saturday. The win represented the trader’s best bet since joining the prediction market’s platform in January.
At first, American lightweight Chris Padilla was told, alongside millions of viewers, that he had bested MarQuel Mederos at UFC 327 in Miami, per talkSPORT. After a commercial break, however, commentator Jon Adik said the fight had actually been scored as a “majority draw.”
By that point, Polymarket’s platform assigned Padilla a 99.9% chance of winning the fight, indicating that the outcome had essentially been settled. After the commentator divulged the mistake, each fighter’s odds swung to 50% to reflect that neither had won.
I quickly bought all the shares at 0.1c & waited for the result to be corrected. pic.twitter.com/3R05RXWqPf
— sito (@sitoslimy5) April 12, 2026
That was good for the Polymarket trader that bet on Mederos when the fighter had a 0.1% chance of winning the bout—resulting in a roughly 50,000% gain—and bad for bettors that had wagered on Padilla up to the point that his win was virtually erased from history.
The platform’s whipsawing odds serve as the latest example of how, when it comes to sporting events like the UFC’s, athletes’ performances aren’t the only factor and core broadcast members like Buffer can sway odds heavily—even if their statements are inaccurate.
Q&A
How did a Polymarket trader make $252,000 from a $500 bet?
The trader capitalized on a UFC scoring error that misidentified the fight's winner, allowing them to place a profitable bet.
What was the UFC scoring error that led to the big payout?
The UFC announcer incorrectly announced Chris Padilla as the winner of his fight against MarQuel Mederos, which was later corrected to a majority draw.
Who is the UFC announcer involved in the scoring error?
Bruce Buffer is the UFC announcer who misread the fight's outcome, leading to the scoring error.
What impact do scoring errors have on betting in combat sports?
Scoring errors can significantly influence betting outcomes, as demonstrated by this incident where a trader profited from the mistake.
