The UFC is seeking court approval for a revised $375 million settlement in a class-action antitrust lawsuit filed by former fighters. This follows the rejection of an earlier settlement proposal by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Franklin Boulware II.
The new agreement, part of the larger Le v. Zuffa case, significantly increases the payout from the previous amount of approximately $300 million. In July, Judge Boulware had turned down a proposed $335 million settlement covering both the Le and Johnson cases, with 90% intended for the Le plaintiffs.
In a statement, TKO Group, the parent company of UFC, expressed that the updated settlement addresses the judge’s concerns. “While we believe the original settlement was fair, it is in the best interest of all parties to bring this litigation to a close,” the company said.
The revised settlement, which TKO has formalized in an agreement to be submitted to the court, involves payments made in installments over a specified timeframe. The company anticipates that the settlement will be tax-deductible.
The lawsuits date back nearly a decade and accuse Zuffa, the previous owner of UFC, of violating antitrust laws by underpaying fighters and damaging other MMA promotions. Multiple related lawsuits were consolidated into a single action in June 2015. Additionally, a new class-action lawsuit was filed in June 2021 by former fighters Kajan Johnson and C.B. Dollaway, alleging similar anticompetitive practices.
TKO Group was formed last year through the merger of UFC and WWE, with Endeavor holding a majority stake in the company.
