The Le vs. Zuffa antitrust lawsuit will officially land back in court for a hearing next year, as soon…
The Le vs. Zuffa antitrust lawsuit will officially land back in court for a hearing next year, as soon as February – as per a ruling this week from sitting judge, Richard Boulware.
The lawsuit, filed initially back in 2014 against the organization by the likes of a slew of fighters including former middleweights, Cung Le, and Nate Quarry – despite a prior settlement agreement in relation to the lawsuit earlier this annum.
The initial settlement struck was set to pay out $335,000,000 in relation to two separate lawsuits filed – one covering athletes under the banner of the promotion between 2010 and 2017, as well as other fighters covered from 2017 to the present day.
Judge Boulware, who has confirmed how the antitrust lawsuit will land back in court on February 3. next, – stated how he had objected the settlement struck earlier this year, questioning if the payment settled on seemed low and how fighters represented in the second lawsuit could take the decision to object to arbitration and further class-action waiver clauses. (H/T MMA Fighting)
UFC antitrust lawsuit set to return to court in February next year
The antitrust lawsuit initially filed against the promotion alleges that the UFC had participated “in a scheme to acquire and maintain monosopy power in the market for elite professional MMA fighter services.” Furthermore, these alleged practices were achieved through the implementation of exclusive contracts for talent, methods of coercion, and the acquisition of other fighting promotions in a bid to eliminate competitors to their brand and roster.
Judge sets new trial date for UFC antitrust lawsuit in 2025, settlement still possible https://t.co/zNtlyhQKIv
Prior to the judge’s ruling, Eric Cramer, who is the lead attorney for fighters said: “They’d be better off both taking the money, getting the injunctive relief. The world where that doesn’t happen is not in that fighter’s interests because I would tell that fighter if they were in my office, ‘You’re likely to lose. You’re likely to get nothing.’”
The UFC faced a class-action lawsuit in 2014 when a number of fighters made allegations that the promotion had violated anti-trust laws. The case is still ongoing, however, and the UFC’s biggest rival is now involved Reports confirm that Bellator has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court (Central District of California) which will effectively […]
The UFC faced a class-action lawsuit in 2014 when a number of fighters made allegations that the promotion had violated anti-trust laws. The case is still ongoing, however, and the UFC’s biggest rival is now involved Reports confirm that Bellator has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court (Central District of California) which will effectively […]
Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans love to sit down and watch a fighter take to the Octagon who they know is always down to scrap, but fighting style isn’t the only thing that puts butts in the seats or makes you click that ‘BUY’ button on your remote. Throughout the years, many men have taken to
Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans love to sit down and watch a fighter take to the Octagon who they know is always down to scrap, but fighting style isn’t the only thing that puts butts in the seats or makes you click that ‘BUY’ button on your remote.
Throughout the years, many men have taken to the microphone to make a name for themselves, and we can’t help but love to watch a fighter who knows how to talk trash and back it up when locked inside of a cage with their adversary.
So without further ado, lets take a look at the UFC’s top 10 most outspoken fighters of all time…
Another Bellator fan fest will coincide with Bellator 154 next week in California, as MMA legends and current Bellator champion Liam McGeary appear.
Set for Dave & Buster’s from Milpitas, California, McGeary will be joined by Royce Gracie, Randy…
Another Bellator fan fest will coincide with Bellator 154 next week in California, as MMA legends and current Bellator champion Liam McGeary appear.
Set for Dave & Buster’s from Milpitas, California, McGeary will be joined by Royce Gracie, Randy Couture, Cung Le, Mark Coleman and Jacob “Stitch” Duran.
The event is exclusively for Bellator Nation members, which is a free club to join. It begins at 8 p.m. PT and will serve as the lead-in to Saturday’s Bellator 154 card from the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
In the headline fight on Spike TV, Phil Davis takes on Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal in a No. 1 contender match to McGeary’s title.
In the media firestorm following his Fight Night 48 drug-testing fiasco and subsequent (but unrelated) class-action lawsuit against the UFC, Cung Le has decided to retire from MMA. Fans of spinning sh*t, pour one out.
In eight years of professional competition, Le collected a 9-3 record that included wins over Rich Franklin, Patrick Cote, and Frank Shamrock — the latter of which earned him the Strikeforce middleweight championship. After rattling off back-to-back wins at the age of 40 in 2012, Le came under fire when he tested positive for HGH following his 4th round TKO loss to Michael Bisping at Fight Night Macau in August. While photos of Le’s suspiciously jacked physique had raised a heap of questions prior to the fight, it was the UFC’s mishandling of his urine sample that raised a ton more.
After the jump: Check out Le’s prepared statement, the UFC’s response, and a brief tribute to some of his most memorable moments in the cage.
(Warrior. Photo via Victor Fraile/Getty Images)
Well, we probably should have seen this coming.
In the media firestorm following his Fight Night 48 drug-testing fiasco and subsequent (but unrelated) class-action lawsuit against the UFC, Cung Le has decided to retire from MMA. Fans of spinning sh*t, pour one out.
In eight years of professional competition, Le collected a 9-3 record that included wins over Rich Franklin, Patrick Cote, and Frank Shamrock — the latter of which earned him the Strikeforce middleweight championship. After rattling off back-to-back wins at the age of 40 in 2012, Le came under fire when he tested positive for HGH following his 4th round TKO loss to Michael Bisping at Fight Night Macau in August. While photos of Le’s suspiciously jacked physique had raised a heap of questions prior to the fight, it was the UFC’s mishandling of his urine sample that raised a ton more.
After the jump: Check out Le’s prepared statement, the UFC’s response, and a brief tribute to some of his most memorable moments in the cage.
Although Le hasn’t ruled out a possible return to kickboxing, he released a prepared statement (via MMAJunkie) yesterday which states that “active competition in mixed martial arts” was no longer a part of his and his families future.
After several months of thought and discussion with my wife and family we realize our future includes many things, but active competition in mixed martial arts is no longer one of them therefore I am officially announcing my retirement from active competition. Fighting will never be far from my heart and martial arts will always continue to be a part of my daily life. I have thoroughly enjoyed the career that I have been blessed with due in large part to all my fans and the many people who have helped me on my journey.
I want to personally thank my wife, Suzanne, my three Little Ninjas, my Mother, Sister and the rest of my incredible family for their support, prayers and inspiration. I’d like to take this opportunity to personally thank Scott Coker for his long-time friendship and support of my career, Gary Ibarra for your tenacity, to Khoa Do for everything, Scott Sheeley, you know, and to Jane Estioko, thank you for your loyalty. I’d also like to thank all of my past and present USH Team Family members, I am grateful for every round.
I’d like to recognize the UFC for the opportunity they have provided me, the sport of mixed martial arts, and more importantly the fans who love it, you will never be far from my heart. It has truly been my honor and my privilege to entertain you.
In statements of their own released through UFC.com, Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta graciously thanked Le for all he had done to expand the promotion’s brand into Asia while lauding the quality of his character.
“Cung Le was a great ambassador of the sport for us in Asia and one of the most exciting middleweights to step foot in the octagon,” said Fertitta. “We wish him well in his retirement and future endeavors.”
“Cung Le was awesome and would take any fight. He was such a huge piece of the success of ‘The Ultimate Fighter: China.’ I loved working with him and wish him well in the future” echoed White.
For a guy who averaged just one fight a year, Le was able to amass quite a ridiculous highlight reel of brutal finishes, so join us below to relive some of his most memorable ones.
Le vs. Brian Warren — Strikeforce: Revenge
Le vs. Tony Fryklund — Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni
Le vs. Frank Shamrock — Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le
Le vs. Scott Smith II — Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum
(White, seen here introducing the UFC’s latest catchphrase, “Whaddya gon’ do?” Photo via Getty.)
Of all the things that went so, so wrong for the UFC in 2014, the biggest positive that could be taken away was easily the promotion’s decision to begin drug-testing its athletes in house and year-round. As luck would have it, 2014 also went down as one of the druggiest years in MMA since the PRIDE days (allegedly). Random, out-of-competition drug testing was an expensive but necessary step forward and one that helped quell the near-constant questions regarding the legitimacy of the organization’s product. And it was working, dammit.
Well put your minds at ease, Potato Nation, because the UFC’s days of out-of-competition drug testing is over. HIP, HIP, HOORAY!!
Dana White broke the news during a media session on Thursday afternoon at the MGM Grand. Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter has the details:
“Our legal team completed screwed that up. We f—-d it up, and we will f–k it up again. That’s what the commission is there for,” he said.
White continued by saying that, while they have come to the realization that the promotion cannot oversee its own drug testing program, Zuffa will instead give more money to athletic commissions to help fund additional testing.
“What we’ll do is we’ll help fund it, so they can do more drug testing,” he said. “Our legal department screwed that whole thing up. We’ve got no business handling the regulation.”
(White, seen here introducing the UFC’s latest catchphrase, ”Whaddya gon’ do?” Photo via Getty.)
Of all the things that went so, so wrong for the UFC in 2014, the biggest positive that could be taken away was easily the promotion’s decision to begin drug-testing its athletes in house and year-round. As luck would have it, 2014 also went down as one of the druggiest years in MMA since the PRIDE days (allegedly). Random, out-of-competition drug testing was an expensive but necessary step forward and one that helped quell the near-constant questions regarding the legitimacy of the organization’s product. And it was working, dammit.
Well put your minds at ease, Potato Nation, because the UFC’s days of out-of-competition drug testing is over. HIP, HIP, HOORAY!!
Dana White broke the news during a media session on Thursday afternoon at the MGM Grand. Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter has the details:
“Our legal team completed screwed that up. We f—-d it up, and we will f–k it up again. That’s what the commission is there for,” he said.
White continued by saying that, while they have come to the realization that the promotion cannot oversee its own drug testing program, Zuffa will instead give more money to athletic commissions to help fund additional testing.
“What we’ll do is we’ll help fund it, so they can do more drug testing,” he said. “Our legal department screwed that whole thing up. We’ve got no business handling the regulation.”
While this may seem like a crushing blow to the UFC’s legitimacy at first, we should all probably recognize that the drug testing methods the UFC was using prior to this decision were shaky at best. Several top scientists in the field already brought into question the legitimacy of Le’s test, stating that the method used to determine his HGH levels (which were 18 times the limit, BTW) differed from those used by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and therefore should not be considered. (via BloodyElbow):
There are currently two different tests being used by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) to detect hGH use. The hGH “Isoform Differential Immunoassays” test is used to determine the presence of exogenous (meaning from an outside source) hGH in the system. That test is used in conjunction with a test for serum IGF1 levels.
The other hGH test is known as the Biomarker test. According to the Hong Kong lab report reviewed by this reporter, none of these sports doping hGH tests were conducted on Cung Le’s blood sample.
Instead, the Hong Kong lab took a reading of Le’s total hGH concentration, which by itself cannot determine if the subject has used exogenous hGH or not.
For a male who has fasted and rested for 12 hours prior to giving a blood sample to be tested, [proper protocol], the normal range is 05 ng/mL. For an athlete giving a sample after strenuous activity such as a fight, the expected range is 20-30 ng/mL. Le’s reading was a bit below 20 ng/mL, which is actually lower than the expected post-exercise reference range.
I don’t know where to begin, really. White’s reasoning for calling an end to random drug-testing (“We’ll f*ck it up again”) is about as laughably dismissive of a much bigger problem as you can get. Rather than, you know, attempt to improve their flawed but effective system of fighter-testing, the UFC is essentially shrugging its shoulders over how incompetently their billion dollar organization is run and hoping that throwing some money at the problem will make everything hunky-dory. “That’s what the commission is there for?” You mean those same incompetent, underfunded commissions that you endlessly bitch about not being able to even appoint a proper set of judges? That’s who’s going to swoop in and save the day?
Of course, White is more than likely glossing over the bigger reason behind the decision: Money. Carbon Isotope Ratio tests (the drug test of choice by VADA) cost between $700 and $1000 a piece, making them four to five times more expensive than the average T:E tests. Because of their cost, most athletic commissions can’t afford to use them on every athlete competing on a given fight card, let alone on a year-round basis. Without getting into how bad a year the UFC had money-wise, well, let’s just say they are probably in the “cutting-corners” phase of operations. And if they can’t afford to pay one of their fighters more than 8k to show, how much do you think they’ll be willing to donate to these commissions to make sure that their athletes are properly tested?
