The UFC Faces Potential $1.6 Billion Class-Action Lawsuit For Alleged "Unfair Business Practices"

When it comes to MMA, the UFC has been seen as the only game in town for decades.

Class-action lawsuit filed against the UFC.Photo bythe author (licensed under CC BY 2.0)

And, while other fighting entities exist, many ex-UFC fighters feel as though their business practices have hindered their ability to make educated financial decisions.

As reported by ESPN.comESPN.com,

The lawsuit against the UFC, which was first filed in 2014, will now be a class action suit, meaning almost 1,200 fighters can sue the UFC as a collective for alleged unfair business practices.

Leading the charge is a group of attorneys and former UFC fighters, including Cung Le and Jon Fitch, who allege that the UFC is an illegal monopoly -- having all but bought or driven out competitor MMA promotions to gain complete control of fighter pay.

On an episode of Morning Kombat, hosts and combat sports journalists, Luke Thomas & Brian Campbell, break down a list of evidence that will now become admissible (valid) in court, including text messages, emails, and documents.

Some of the main accusations of the UFC's wrongdoings are:

• Using coercive tactics to suppress fighter pay
• Trapping fighters in long-term contracts, far after retirement
• Unfairly owning likeness and future business dealings from fighters

This, is addition, to a litany of allegations against MMA managers working with the UFC for personal gain -- as opposed to working in the best interest of their clients.

Although an "identity class" has not yet been granted, meaning the UFC can move to appeal that the lawsuit should not be classified as a class action motion, the plaintiffs are seeking between $800 million and $1.6 billion in damages from the UFC.

If the UFC does appeal the case, a trial will be set up for March or April of 2024, according to Federal judge Richard F. Boulware (who granted the class certification request).

One of the lead attorneys, Eric Cramer, summarized the intent of their lawsuit in an "X" (formerly Twitter) post, with this statement:

"We look forward to demonstrating our allegations that the UFC has abused its market power to suppress fighter pay before a jury in Las Vegas. The fight for fighter justice continues!"

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