The Nevada judge that’s overseeing the UFC antitrust lawsuit went to the same high school as Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta. Is that affecting his ability to be impartial?
UFC CEO Dana White has been pretty tight lipped when it comes to the ongoing antitrust class action lawsuit winding its way through the court system for the past 10 years. But following Nevada judge Richard Boulware’s rejection of a proposed $335 million settlement, White is suggesting the judge may hold a grudge against him that dates back to 1986.
It turns out that Boulware attended Bishop Gorman High School at the same time as White and former UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta. While Boulware was a year ahead of them and White offered no specific history of conflict, it’s enough to make him wonder if the judge is being fully impartial.
“Let me say this – it’s probably the only thing I’ve said since this whole thing’s been going on,” White told Kevin Iole in a recent interview. “It’s getting to a point now where this feels personal. You know, I went to high school with [Judge Boulware]. Me and Lorenzo went to high school with him. I don’t know what the hell me or Lorenzo did to him in high school, but this seems very, very personal.”
Dana White is asked about the antitrust lawsuit.
Watch Kevin Iole’s full interview here:https://t.co/2n72Zjq3FQ pic.twitter.com/ugsnxFDIbR
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) August 3, 2024
“I don’t think [I bullied him]. I don’t think I did anything to this guy,” White added. “I don’t know what the hell happened. But there’s no doubt in my mind this feels absolutely personal, and whatever it is with this guy, we’ll let the lawyers deal with it, and it is what it is.”
Boulware’s decision to reject a settlement agreement between fighters and the UFC set the stage for a fully jury trial currently scheduled to start in October. The three billion dollar question: did UFC illegally use it’s dominant position to illegally depress fighter wages? Lawyers for the fighters did such a good job of convincing the judge that he believes the settlement doesn’t go far enough and leaves fighters in the same disadvantaged position as before.
Suggesting the judge has a personal axe to grind ten years into a case is pretty wild, and it will be interesting to see whether White’s comments are addressed in an August 19th status conference. The UFC hasn’t been looking so good in Boulware’s court, but there’s always the court of public opinion and White’s comments certainly provide a narrative that’s easier for the average person to understand than monopsony law.