Nevada district court judge denies settlement between the UFC and former fighters

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada district judge denied a $335 million settlement Tuesday in two UFC antitrust lawsuits brought by former fighters, potentially sending both sides back to the negotiating table.

Judge Richard Boulware set Aug. 19 for a status update for both cases with a tentative trial date for the one involving former MMA athlete Cung Le on Oct. 28. A firm trial date will be scheduled at the conference.

The UFC issued a statement saying it disagreed with the ruling and already was in contact with the opposing counsel, “who have expressed a willingness to engage in separate settlement discussions.”

Boulware did not explain his decision, but an opinion will be forthcoming, according to the court document.

The settlement was agreed to in March.

The two class-action lawsuits by former UFC fighters were led by Le, filed in 2014, and Kajan Johnson, filed in 2021. Several other fighters also were mentioned in the suits.

They alleged the UFC attempted to act as a monopoly and thus limited the fighters’ ability to maximize their earnings.

The UFC’s statement said the judge’s decision also was harmful to the athletes who agreed to the settlement.

“(By) taking the unusual step of denying the settlement at this preliminary approval stage, the Judge is also denying the athletes their right to be heard during this pivotal moment in the case,” the organization’s statement read.

Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association, led by one of the athletes’ attorneys, posted on X, “We have a story to tell about the monopolization of MMA.”

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