Past and current UFC fighters came together on Tuesday afternoon to file a class-action lawsuit against Zuffa LLC, the parent company of the UFC.
Cung Le, a current UFC fighter, joined former UFC veterans Jon Fitch and Nate Quarry at a press conference to officially file a lawsuit against the largest MMA promotion in the world.
The lawsuit basically calls for a breach in the Sherman Antitrust Act. The parameters of the alleged offense basically accuse the UFC and Zuffa of underpaying fighters, perpetually controlling rights to the names and likenesses of fighters and killing off competition to create a noncompetitive marketplace.
The UFC released an official statement that reads: “The UFC is aware of the action filed today but has not been served, nor has it had the opportunity to review the document. The UFC will vigorously defend itself and its business practices.”
Le, Fitch and Quarry have brought out the big guns in the world of antitrust suits. The case is being spearheaded by lawyers from major antitrust law firms Cohen Milstein, Joseph Saveri Law Firm and Berger & Montague. It was also announced on Tuesday that other fighters, both current and former, would be welcome to join in on the suit.
No statement has been released yet from UFC President Dana White, who is currently vacationing in Fiji.
This form of litigation could take several months or even years to play out in a court of law. It’s the type of case that is unprecedented and could bring about a whirlwind of change to MMA.
Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA writer for Rocktagon.
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