UFC has reached a $375 million settlement in an antitrust lawsuit filed by former fighters dating back to 2014.
Nevada Judge Richard Boulware granted final approval for the settlement agreement in U.S. District Court. The lawsuit was filed in 2014 by former fighters including Cung Le and Nate Quarry, who argued that the promotion developed market control — or monopsony power — over fighters that allowed UFC to restrict contracts, coerce agreements and limit competition.
An initial agreement for $335 million was settled between UFC and the fighters in March 2024. Yet Boulware rejected that proposal because it combined two individual lawsuits into one agreement. The case consisted of two class action suits. The first was from a class led by Le that covered fighters from 2010 to 2017. The other, headed by Kajan Johnson, represented fighters who had been under contract since 2017.
Took 12 years to get here but we’ve reach a settlement and today the judge approved it.
If you a part of the Le class be sure you collect your damages. pic.twitter.com/hwuV1YLdk2
— Jon Fitch 🏴☠️ (@jonfitchdotnet) February 6, 2025
The settlement approved by Boulware for $375 million was reached in October 2024. However, the reward will be distributed exclusively to the fighters in the Le class. The settlement also does not UFC to change any of its contractual or business practices.
“Under the Settlement, Le Class members would recover (on average), after all fees and costs are deducted, $250,000. Thirty-five Class members would net over $1 million; nearly 100 fighters would net over $500,000; more than 200 fighters would recover over $250,000; over 500 fighters would net in excess of $100,000; and nearly 800 would recover over $50,000,” according to a brief filed by the fighters’ attorneys, via MMA Fighting.
“By any reasonable measure, the Settlement, if approved, would put “life changing” cash into the hands of the families of several hundred fighters now.”
I’m proud to have represented Cung, Kyle, Nate, Javier, Jon, Brandon and all of the mma fighters in the Le v Zuffa class. We achieved some measure of justice. And now we continue the battle in the Johnson case. https://t.co/FjowfsWThQ
— Eric Cramer (@CramerEcramer) February 6, 2025
Eric Cramer, lead attorney for the fighters, said they would “continue the battle” for the second antitrust lawsuit.
“I’m proud to have represented Cung [Le], Kyle [Kingsbury], Nate [Quarry], Javier [Vazquez], Jon [Fitch], Brandon [Vera] and all of the MMA fighters in the Le v Zuffa class,” Cramer said after the judge’s approval was issued. “We achieved some measure of justice. And now we continue the battle in the Johnson case.”
The second antitrust lawsuit by the Johnson class is still working its way through the court system. But with this first settlement reached, experts say that another settlement could be reached before the case goes to trial. UFC filed a motion to dismiss the case on Oct. 7, but no judge has issued a ruling on that yet.
