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The UFC antitrust lawsuit continues its slow and steady march toward trial. First filed in 2014, the claim from a group of former fighters that the world’s largest MMA promotion has abused their power while effectively operating as a monopoly in the world of mixed martial arts achieved class action status only just last year.
In the months since, things have been moving at a much more serious pace, with both sides gearing up for what seems like a surefire showdown in the courtroom. Most recently, the UFC filed a list of the fighters, some of whom qualify for class status (competed in one or more live professional UFC-promoted MMA bouts taking place or broadcast in the United States from December 16, 2010, to June 30, 2017), that will be testifying on their behalf. It comes with absolutely no surprises.
Donald Cerrone, Michael Bisping among fighters set to testify for the UFC
As we already reported, no fighters included in the qualifying bout class (about 1200 athletes in total) chose to remove themselves from the lawsuit against the UFC. So even among those set to testify on the promotion’s behalf, most of them stand to gain if the plaintiffs succeed. That said, there is one notable exception.
Bloody Elbow’s John Nash shared the details from the UFC’s filing on Twitter.
Fighters set to testify for the UFC:
- Michael Bisping: A former champion and current regular member of the UFC broadcast team, Bisping has long been a supporter of the promotion’s pay structure.
“To be honest, it makes me mad, because people don’t understand,” Michael Bisping said back in 2012, when asked about critics of the UFC’s pay structure. “I’ve worked hard, and I get [the amount stipulated in the contract], but when Dana comes into the locker room and gives me a check afterwards, they don’t have to do that. - Donald Cerrone: Known throughout his career for being one of the promotion’s most loyal ‘fight anyone at any time’ company men, Cerrone retired from competition in 2022 to focus on his acting career. During his time in the Octagon, however, he was also a vocal supporter of the promotion’s pay structure.
“It’s like, listen, you just fought on a regional show for $2,000. Now the UFC’s giving you whatever the 12 and 12 or whatever that is, so that’s clearly more than what you’re earning now,” Cerrone told reporters, speaking of younger fighters complaining over pay at a 2022 presser. “They work so hard, they put their whole life on hold to get in the UFC. And then they get in the UFC and they’re like, ‘Oh, I’m here.’ And they kind of just back off the training. They’re no longer the killers and doing what they need to do to become the entertainers and the person that the UFC signed them to be.” - Michael Chandler: Not part of the class for this version of the lawsuit, Chandler does meet the standards for inclusion in a separate class action case filed by former UFC lightweight Kajan Johnson. Despite spending the majority of 2010-17 fighting for Viacom-owned rival, Bellator, Chandler has been a vocal supporter of his new home since making his Octagon debut in 2021.
“…I don’t have a problem with the quote/un-quote ‘fighter pay’ argument,” Chandler explained in a 2022 interview. “I think people think we should make a lot more money because the UFC makes a ton of money on their shows. Well, the UFC’s been at it since 1993. Dana White has had 10,000 sleepless nights when most of us fighters are just showing up to practice and going to bed, laying our head on the pillow and getting after it—and getting paid a decent wage for what we do.” - Chael Sonnen: A former multiple time title contender, Sonnen’s relationship with the UFC hasn’t always been a rosy one. The ‘American Gangster’ ended his Octagon run in ignominy, following a failed drug test. After four years of retirement, he made his return to competition with Bellator and even had a stint working the desk with the WSOF. In more recent years, however, he’s been working more closely with UFC broadcast partner ESPN and has been a noted supporter of Endeavor/Zuffa business strategy.
“Can you name 1 company on Earth that gives 50/50 revenue split?” Sonnen social media post replying to Combat Sport’s Law’s Erik Magraken, before going on to argue that the UFC is simply operating within the parameters of natural market forces in a much longer video reply.
In a separate attempt to try and defend UFC’s controversial low fighter pay, Sonnen previously made dubious claims about supposedly earning $8,800,000 in the rematch against Anderson Silva. In reality, lawsuit documents showed that Silva got just $2.5 million while the full payout for Sonnen was just $1.05 million — over eight times less than his claim.
- Miesha Tate: Unlike Sonnen, while Tate has had significant roles with promotions outside the UFC (a 3-year stint with ONE Championship as a Vice President in the promotion’s front office), she’s also never had a public falling out with them either. Tate hasn’t been nearly as active in the fighter pay debate as the other names on this list, but did come to the promotion’s defense after revealing that she had spent all of her $200,000 purse on fight camp expenses.
“I’m not complaining about what the UFC pays me,” Tate told the MMA Hour back in 2021. “The UFC paid me $200,000. I wouldn’t get that anywhere else I don’t think. So look, I got $200,000 to spend on my camp. I reinvested it in myself, almost all of it. It wasn’t a bad choice. I’m not broke. I own my house free and clear. I own my cars free and clear. I have a great life. So I know I’ll make hand over fist when I’m a champion again, that’s the ultimate goal. Some fighters don’t spend that much money. There’s some fighters out there who cut corners.”
MMA managers coming to UFC’s aid as well
Outside of the UFC’s obvious market dominance when it comes to prominence and opportunity for fighters looking to ‘make it big’ in MMA, one of the longstanding criticisms around the sport is the seemingly often cozy relationship that talent managers have with UFC brass. Nothing brings that critique into sharper focus than the noted figures said to be representing athletes’ best interests that are prepared to offer their testimony for the UFC.
That list includes Dominance MMA founder Ali Abdelaziz, Iridium Sports Agency CEO Jason House, KHI vice president Josh Jones, American Top Team owner Dan Lambert, and RFA/LFA president Ed Soares.
Documentation from the filing notes that these men represented talent including Anderson Silva, Junior Dos Santos, Gleison Tibau, Rosa Namajunas, Donald Cerrone, Miesha Tate, Bobby Green, Fabricio Werdum, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Rafael dos Anjos among dozens of others.
The UFC antitrust lawsuit is set to go to trial on April 8th, 2024, barring any pre-trial settlement agreement. If it does proceed as planned it should be fascinating to hear the arguments presented by these fighters and managers in support of the UFC.
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