portion from the $375 million UFC antitrust
lawsuit settlement, there are still some distribution issues
regarding the rest of the payments.
According to an update from law firm Berger Montague, payments
totaling more than $237 million have been issued to “984 claimants
in 44 countries” from the Le vs. Zuffa antitrust case, which
covered fighters who competed in the
UFC from 2010 to 2017. That represents more than 90 percent of
the eligible athletes, according to a release. There were a total
of 1,088 class members who submitted claims related to the
case.
“We are working around the clock to distribute settlement payments
to the remaining claimants,” the release states.
A Variety of Issues
There are a number of complications with payments for the remaining
eligible fighters. These include processing issues, payment
instructions under review and outstanding issues with ACH or wire
instructions.
Meanwhile, there are others whose payments have not processed due
to legal issues, including “competing claims on the distribution
amounts (from spouses or taxing authorities), or it is unclear who
is the rightful recipient of some or all of the funds. The most
common examples arise when a claimant has died without a will, or
the Class Member is divorced, or there are legal child support
obligations.”
Finally, another group includes fighters who “reside in countries
that are subject to a sanctions scheme governed by the Office of
Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States. There are
strict prohibitions on sending funds to residents of countries on
the ‘OFAC list.’” These claims “will likely require court
intervention,” the release adds.
The $375 million settlement was approved by Judge Richard Boulware
in 2025. In 2014, former UFC parent company Zuffa was initially
accused of engaging in a scheme “to acquire and maintain monopsony
power in the market for elite professional MMA fighter services” by
purchasing rival organizations and limiting earnings by binding
fighters to exclusive contracts. Another antitrust lawsuit, which
includes fighters who competed in the UFC from 2017 and beyond, is
still ongoing.