Las Vegas US District Judge Richard Boulware has rejected UFC’s $335 million settlement offer to fighters. Cung Le, Nate Quarry, and Jon Fitch initiated the anti-trust lawsuit case a few years ago. Since then, other fighters have joined the legal action as well. Interestingly, the fighters were allegedly paid considerably less than due to UFC’s monopoly over the market.
This eventually resulted in the ongoing legal battle that has spanned over ten years. Although UFC tried to appeal, it failed miserably. According to John Nash, an expert on UFC anti-trust lawsuits, Judge Boulware decided to deny the settlement on Tuesday night. The judge emphasized that despite both parties expressing satisfaction with the result, the $335 million settlement was deemed insufficient.
The two suits are Johnson v Zuffa and Cung Le v Zuffa, LLC. Interestingly, if both parties don’t reach an agreement before October 28, there is a good possibility that it will lead to two important trials in U.S. sports history. However, Judge Boulware didn’t elaborate on his rejection of the settlement, leaving everyone clueless.
News out of the Vegas Federal Court: the Judge has denied the Preliminary Settlement Approval in the UFC antitrust case. Trial is to be scheduled for Le v Zuffa and Johnson v Zuffa will proceed on its own.
— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) July 31, 2024
However, there might be one reason, as the attorneys for the fighters admitted that the agreed-upon settlement would provide immediate financial relief. The attorneys also admitted that sending this case to trial could result in a loss. As such, the fighters involved in the case might not receive anything. This recent judgment allows for the making of certain speculations. Meanwhile, the UFC opened up following the decision.
UFC issues a statement expressing their displeasure
The UFC expressed dissatisfaction with a judge’s ruling that rejected the proposed settlement. This could have concluded the nearly decade-long antitrust lawsuit brought by a group of former fighters. Nearly 500 fighters would have received over $100,000 under the proposed settlement. However, Judge Boulware was not content with the lack of “injunctive relief” for current fighters.
UFC CEO Dana White (via X)In other words, the deal didn’t do enough to change the UFC’s business practices. Meanwhile, as reported by MMA Junkie, the UFC has clearly expressed their disappointment. They have released an official statement addressing the decision after originally agreeing to settle both lawsuits. The official statement disagreed with the judge’s decision and potential resolution.
As we have said throughout this process, we believe strongly in the merits of our cases and are evaluating all our options – including, without limitation, an appeal – and have initiated discussions with plaintiffs’ counsel who have expressed a willingness to engage in separate settlement discussions for the Le and Johnson cases.
UFC’s official statement via MMA Junkie
Judge Boulware could have brought the lawsuit to a close by approving the agreement the two parties reached in June. However, he refused to settle due to concerns about inadequate monetary compensation, lack of injunctive relief, and other issues. This ruling came despite objections from both parties.
If the lawsuit goes to trial, the former UFC fighters would need a unanimous jury vote. Without one, they could end up with nothing. If they win, they could face years of appeals before receiving any monetary or injunctive relief. However, now it remains to be seen how both parties settle this before the given deadline of October 28th.
