The UFC anti-trust lawsuit saga finally seems to be coming to an end. After the first, $300 million compensation agreement reached between the UFC and the plaintiffs in the Le vs. Zuffa case was thrown out by the judge earlier this year, the Dana White-led promotion came back with another offer a few weeks ago, worth $375 million.

And since the deal is pending approval from the same judge, some feel the new deal might be thrown out too, since the payout estimates, should the UFC go to trial and lose are almost triple in comparison to the amount being offered by the UFC. But many former UFC fighters who are plaintiffs in the suit, including former UFC Interim Heavyweight champion Shane Carwin have sent their testimonies to the judge, urging him to approve the deal. Why? Because many of them, including Carwin are in ‘desperate’ need of the funds.

“I face serious challenges… in basic life skills necessary to function… I desperately need these funds now,” Carwin wrote in part in a declaration to the court that has been made public.

Most of the fighters who have made declarations supporting the UFC’s latest offer have made similar claims about needing money urgently for medical expenses, being unable to hold jobs due to brain damage, and their family life suffering because of their deteriorating health. The running theme is that any delay in getting the funds would only worsen their issues perhaps even to an unrecoverable point. This is why the deal is likely to be accepted by the judge. But that by no means will be the end of the UFC’s legal troubles.

Dana White and Co. have another lawsuit they still need to deal with

The UFC, of course, is also involved in another class-action lawsuit, namely Johnson vs. Zuffa. This case has as plaintiffs UFC fighters from 2017 onwards, while the ‘Le vs. Zuffa’ case was for fighters who had been in the UFC between 2010-17. Under the previous deal, both the Le and Johnson parties had agreed to a $335 million settlement with the Dana White-led promotion (of which $300 million was for the Le plaintiffs and $35 earmarked for the Johnson party). And while the UFC has reached a separate settlement in the Le case, the Johnson case is still ongoing.

Either the MMA juggernaut will have to reach another settlement with them for an amount more than the original $35 million, or they will go to trial. In this circumstance, the UFC will have to pay significantly more than in a deal with them if they end up losing the case. However, since the Johnson litigants had agreed to the $35 million offer, it seems more than likely that a twenty to twenty-five percent increase in the offer will be accepted by the litigants. But the judge, of course, would still need to be convinced. What are your thoughts on the UFC’s $375 million deal with the Le party? Let us know in the comments below.