Fighters Demands Will Not Be Met by Dana White and Co. Despite $335M Settlement as Claimed by UFC Veteran

The ongoing anti-trust lawsuit against the UFC has reached its conclusion. And according to a former UFC heavyweight, the result may be great for the promotion and CEO Dana White, but not so much for the fighters. Initially filed in 2014, the lawsuit was led by former fighters like Cung Le, Nate Quarry, and Jon Fitch.

In a recent update, the UFC has agreed to a significant sum as a settlement with the fighters. As such, Brendan Schaub revealed his thoughts on what the settlement means for the future of MMA. He also outlined his thoughts on what the fighters need to do to secure changes in the future.

UFC veteran claims recent lawsuit win for promotion and Dana White is not good for the fighters  

According to reports available online, the UFC and the fighters reached an agreement on March 13, 2024. The lawsuit alleged that the promotion had used unfair tactics to control the MMA market, resulting in lower fighter pay.

In the court document for the proceedings, it states that “On March 13, 2024, TKO reached an agreement to settle all claims asserted in both class action lawsuits (Le and Johnson) for an aggregate amount of $335 million payable by the Company and its subsidiaries in installments over an agreed-upon period of time.”

As such, in a video shared on his Instagram account, Brendan Schaub stated, “And then we get news today, they settled for $335 million. This is a massive, massive, victory for the UFC and it’s such a blow for the fighters. Nothing changes, there’s no Ali act, nothing’s gonna change.”

According to Schaub, the lack of change resulting from the settlement means the UFC’s dominance will continue, and will lead to disadvantages for other MMA organizations like PFL, Rizin, and Bellator. He argued that if fighters had won in court, it could have diversified the MMA landscape. However, with the settlement, the UFC’s dominance remains unchallenged.

He ended by stating, “The fighters need a union, they need a union. Just like MLB, NBA, and NFL have, that’s the only way they’re going to make a change.”

As the settlement marks the conclusion of the lawsuit, it also underscores the ongoing challenges faced by fighters in the sport to secure better pay and contract terms in the promotion. And Schaub’s assertion about a fighter’s union provides an important take on a possible solution for the fighter’s woes.  

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And while the lawsuit found an amicable end for the UFC, another legend in the MMA world recently slammed Dana White and the promotion for their questionable practices!

‘Rampage’ slams White for misleading fighters and media 

Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson has come out and slammed Dana White for making false statements and inflating metrics in the press. Speaking on the Jaxxon Podcast, ‘Rampage’ revealed that he was upset with White for not honoring the terms of his contract He stated, “If I sold over a million pay-per-view buys, my PPV numbers jumped up like dramatically, and the fight between me and Rashad Evans, I broke that threshold. And (White) told me, ‘No, you did like 900 and something, right up on a million.’ But then in press, he told everybody ‘We sold over a million buys.”

When Jackson confronted White, he claimed White dismissed it as a promotional strategy. And so, Jackson’s recent criticism of Dana White sheds light on the broader issue of transparency and fairness in fighter contracts and pay. And his account adds another layer to the discussion surrounding fighter rights and the need for accountability within the promotion.

As the dust settles on the lawsuit, it serves as a reminder of the ongoing power dynamics in MMA and the continued need for reform to ensure fair treatment and compensation for fighters.

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