“I face serious challenges in meeting basic everyday expenses for food, shelter and transportation and in basic life skills necessary to function,” said former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin. “This would truly be life-changing money for me and other members of the class.”
A Nevada judge has issued a preliminary approval of a $375 million settlement between the UFC and its former athletes.
According to ESPN, the UFC’s parent company, TKO Group, announced that it had agreed to settle one of two class-action lawsuits. On Tuesday, Judge Richard Franklin Boulware II approved the terms of the agreement, potentially ending more than a decade of litigation.
“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,” attorneys for the class wrote in a brief. “By any reasonable measure, the Settlement, if approved, would put “life changing” cash into the hands of the families of several hundred fighters now.”
A hearing for final approval will be held sometime in the coming months.
“Today’s decision is welcome news for both parties,” a UFC spokesperson told ESPN in a statement. “We are pleased to be another step closer to bringing the [Le v. Zuffa] case to a close.”
Eric Cramer, a lawyer for the athletes, said that he and his clients are “extremely pleased” with Boulware’s decision.
“It is a monumental achievement that will get significant relief to hundreds of deserving MMA fighters,” Cramer said in a statement that was republished by MMA Fighting. “We honor our brave representative plaintiffs who fought for this result for ten years. And we look forward to pursuing significant business changes and more damages in our second antitrust case against the UFC.”
Many of the fighters involved in proceedings have asked the court to expedite its approval, citing physical injuries and financial hardship.
“I face serious challenges in meeting basic everyday expenses for food, shelter and transportation and in basic life skills necessary to function,” said former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin. “This would truly be life-changing money for me and other members of the class.”
The lawsuit, adds ESPN, was filed in 2014. In it, Carwin and his fellow fighters claimed that sports-promoter Zuffa violated antitrust laws by paying UFC fighters less money than they deserved—all while purportedly sabotaging other MMA promoters.
The class also accused the UFC of gaining an “unfair advantage” in the MMA industry by engaging in “a scheme to acquire and maintain monopsony power in the market for elite professional MMA fighter services.”
Sources
Judge approves UFC antitrust lawsuit settlement, $375 million payout settles decade-long litigation
UFC antitrust lawsuit: Judge approves $375 million settlement for former fighters
UFC, fighters close on $375M settlement with judge’s approval
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