UFC will pay $335M to settle antitrust lawsuits
UFC’s parent company agreed to a $335 million settlement tied to two antitrust lawsuits filed against the Las Vegas-based MMA organization.
The settlement comes after mediation regarding lawsuits filed from 2014 to 2021 against the UFC by former fighters alleging their pay was suppressed, according to a March 13 8-K filing by UFC’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement to settle all claims asserted in both the (Cung) Le and (Kajan) Johnson class-action lawsuits, bringing litigation to a close and benefiting all parties,” the UFC said in a statement. “The final terms of the settlement will be submitted to the court for approval.”
UFC was acquired by Endeavor Group Holdings in 2016, which in 2023 merged the UFC with the WWE to form sports and entertainment group TKO Holdings.
The settlement will be paid out in installments over an agreed upon time frame that will be determined and submitted to the court for approval. TKO anticipates the settlement money will be tax deductible, the filing said.
“We are pleased with the settlement and will disclose more when we file with the Court in 45 to 60 days,” the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association said in a post on X.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.