In 2014 a group of former UFC fighters that included Cung Le, Jon Fitch and Brandon Vera filed a lawsuit against the UFC seeking between $800 million and $1.6 billion in damages. That lawsuit accused the UFC of manipulating the mixed martial arts industry in a way that harmed fighters’ abilities to secure meaningful and fair employment within the sector.
The plaintiffs have also accused the UFC of not sharing profits with fighters on a level that matches over top tier sports organizations and elite international athletes. The plaintiffs have estimated that the UFC gives fighters less than 20% of total revenue, whereas major US sports leagues provide a 50-50 revenue split with players.
Late last year a judge certified the lawsuit’s class action status. This victory for the plaintiffs means that any current or former UFC fighter (who competed for the organization between 2010 and 2017) was eligible to join the lawsuit as a plaintiff.
The legal proceedings around this lawsuit are set to ramp up this year. Bloody Elbow will seek to cover every facet of the story as it unfolds.
To fill you in on what has happened up to this point, John S. Nash created the above video. Check out for a detailed explanation of the lawsuit and what could come next.
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