UFC Agrees to Settle For $375 Million in Antitrust Lawsuit Brought By Fighters
After an arduous legal process, the UFC and a group of fighters led by retired middleweight Cung Le appear to have reached an antitrust settlement.
"On Sept. 26, 2024, TKO (the UFC's parent company) reached an agreement with the plaintiffs to settle all claims asserted in the Le case for an aggregate amount of $375 million payable in installments over an agreed-upon period of time by the company and its subsidiaries," a Thursday morning SEC filing read, via MMA journalist John S. Nash.
The settlement—which would be worth substantially more than a previous settlement offer rejected by Nevada district Judge Richard Boulware in July—is pending Boulware's approval.
Le sued the UFC in Dec. 2014 in tandem with fellow fighters Jon Fitch and Nate Quarry, accusing the company of anti-competitive practices. That lawsuit and several further lawsuits were eventually bundled into one under Le's name.
A second antitrust lawsuit brought by Canadian ex-lightweight Kajan Johnson remains outstanding, with the UFC's parent company seeking a motion to dismiss. Both Johnson and Le's lawsuits would have been covered by the previous settlement agreement; only Le's is covered by Thursday's.