Outside Source
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.
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“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.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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