More than 1,000 former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters are poised to receive payouts between $15,000 and over $1 million as part of a newly proposed $375 million class-action settlement. This agreement addresses allegations that the UFC suppressed fighter wages.
The UFC’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, which is part of the Endeavor Group, has faced accusations in a decade-old Nevada lawsuit claiming that it artificially lowered fighter compensation. The proposed settlement, submitted to the court on Monday, stands to be one of the largest class-action settlements in U.S. antitrust law history.
“This would truly be life-changing money for me and for other members of the class,” said Matt Brown, a fighter who participated in 15 UFC bouts during the class period from 2010 to 2017. Brown was one of many fighters who provided declarations in support of the settlement.
This proposed settlement represents the second attempt by plaintiffs’ lawyers from Berger Montague, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, and Joseph Saveri Law Firm to secure court approval from U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware II in Las Vegas. Boulware previously rejected a $335 million proposal that aimed to resolve two related UFC lawsuits, stating that the amount allocated for the fighters was insufficient.
According to court documents, class members would receive an average payout of approximately $250,000. Notably, around 35 class members stand to receive more than $1 million, while nearly 800 fighters are expected to get over $50,000 each.
The UFC has consistently denied any wrongdoing, stating it is in the best interest of all parties involved to bring the litigation to a close.
The settlement is pending court approval and does not address a separate lawsuit filed by current UFC fighters, who claim they are entitled to additional compensation. The UFC’s motion to dismiss that case is still awaiting a decision.
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