UFC officials announced Monday that they have hired a prestigious law firm to defend them in a class-action lawsuit recently brought against them by current and former UFC fighters.
The UFC released the unattributed statement Tuesday on its website.
“We are proud of the company we have built, confident in our legal position, and intend to prevail in this lawsuit,” the statement read in part.
Officials from the promotion and its parent company, Zuffa, announced in the statement that they have retained the services of Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP, a major firm with locations around the United States and abroad.
David Boies, the firm’s chairman, rose to prominence in part as the attorney who represented former Vice President Al Gore in Bush v. Gore, the case that ultimately decided the 2000 U.S. presidential election.
Bill Isaacson, a firm attorney whom the statement identified as the UFC’s lead litigator in Cung Le et al v. Zuffa LLC, expressed confidence in the UFC’s position.
“The antitrust laws have long favored companies that create new products and services that consumers want. That is exactly what the UFC has done here through its long and substantial investment in building a popular sport,” Isaacson was quoted in the statement as saying.
The fighters who are serving as plaintiffs in the lawsuit—current UFC fighter Cung Le and ex-UFC contenders Jon Fitch and Nate Quarry—are alleging that the UFC is violating antitrust laws by using its unique position in the MMA marketplace to keep fighter pay low and control fighter names and likenesses.
Since the initial lawsuit was filed, fighters Brandon Vera, Pablo Garza, Dennis Hallman and Javier Vazquez have also filed separate class-action lawsuits. They will be represented by the same firm as the original three plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs are seeking as-yet-unspecified damages. It remains to be determined what damages will be sought.
Though the timeline and overall direction of the case are entirely unclear at this point, it does hold the potential to change the MMA landscape.
MMA fighters have long complained about the low pay they receive (and the low leverage they hold) in comparison with athletes in other sports. These suits appear to hold the potential to address those complaints in some form or fashion, though, not surprisingly, Zuffa appears ready to defend itself against the claims.
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