LAS VEGAS – UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings has reached a $335 million settlement in two antitrust lawsuits brought by former fighters, according to a disclosure by TKO to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. .
The agreement was signed on March 13, and the payments will be made in stages, rather than in one lump sum, and will be tax deductible.
The two class action lawsuits by former UFC fighters were led by Kun Le, filed in 2014, and Kajan Johnson, filed in 2021. Several other fighters are also mentioned in the lawsuit.
They argued that the UFC tried to function as a monopoly, which limited fighters' ability to maximize their profits.
One of the lawsuits alleges, “The UFC has targeted competing MMA promoter candidates by systematically blocking access to resources essential to the success of the MMA promotion, including imposing extreme restrictions on the abilities of UFC fighters.” engaged in an illegal scheme to eliminate competition.” Fight for potential rivals during and after your time in the UFC. ”
The terms of the settlement must be submitted to the court for approval.
“We are pleased with the settlement and will provide further details in our court filing in the next 45-60 days,” the Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association, led by one of its attorneys, posted on X (formerly Twitter). .
A UFC spokesperson released the following statement: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement resolving all claims asserted in both the Lee and Johnson class actions, bringing the litigation to a close and benefiting all parties. The settlement The final terms will be submitted to the court for approval.”
