MMA News Roundup – UFC Antitrust Lawsuit Gets Major Support From Fighters; Dana White’s Support for Alex Pereira’s Rival Artem Vakhitov; UFC CEO Exposes PFL Investors Plight

From UFC’s legal issues to Dana White sharing kind words for a rival of one of his biggest stars, the MMA world has been buzzing with some significant developments over the last 24-hour period. To kick off this edition of the daily roundup, we’ll take a look at the UFC antitrust lawsuit, which seems to have garnered support from several athletes who competed under the UFC banner.

Thereafter, we’ll shift to the news about Alex Pereira‘s former Glory rival Artem Vakhitov. He seems to have drawn some support from the UFC CEO after his triumphant Contender Series outing. Finally, we close this roundup edition off with Dana White, who made some stunning revelations about the struggles of his rival promotion, the PFL.

Fighters share letters to support the UFC antitrust lawsuit

The UFC has been dealing with a class-action lawsuit as they’re looking to get the court’s green light for a $375 million settlement after their initial settlement agreement of $335 million was denied. Just recently, the plaintiffs of the antitrust lawsuit presented a written document to the court, making for some stunning revelations. It was regarding the new settlement agreements, with 56 fighters sharing letters in support of it, and the aftermath of their UFC run.

The brief was an explanation and a proper breakdown of the new settlement agreement, and why it’s vital for the affected fighters. Some of them are in desperate need of financial relief and want to find a resolution to this lawsuit after years of waiting for a trial. Some of the former fighters who issued letters included Spencer Fisher. The 17-fight tenured former lightweight had been medically declared unable to work due to the significant impact on his body from his 12 years fighting under the UFC banner.

Even Hall of Famer Wanderlei Silva added that he’s convinced about suffering a certain degree of brain damage in his UFC run. “While fighting for the UFC, I suffered many significant injuries, including concussions,” the Brazilian legend wrote. Remember Shane Carwin? Yes, Brock Lesnar‘s former rival also shared his take, claiming that his health problems fighting didn’t allow him to make use of his engineering degree to secure a stable job. How will these letters affect the lawsuit? Well, only time will tell.

Artem Vakhitov gets the UFC CEO’s backing

The former kickboxing star from Russia finally made his big debut under the bright lights of the UFC on the Contender Series with an emphatic knockout win. That immediately put him in Dana White’s good books, as the CEO would reveal that it was Alex Pereira who had put in a good word for Artem Vakhitov before handing him his well-deserved UFC contract. “Obviously, you have a tonne of experience, like 30-something pro fights not including MMA, and Alex said that you absolutely, positively deserve a shot in the UFC… So, thank you Alex Pereira, and get over here Artem,” White stated at the end of the recent episode.

Later, the 55-year-old would share a few words upon signing Artem Vakhitov. Having been impressed with his performance, Dana White asserted that Alex Pereira “was right” about the things he said regarding his former kickboxing rival; his KO win proved it. However, the boss believes that despite having a significant amount of pro fights, he’ll be able to garner more eyes now that he’s in the UFC. “This guy’s got over 30 fights in his career. More people will see what happened here tonight than in his entire career,” Dana White stated during a recent presser. Now, let’s get over to the final news of this roundup edition, involving the PFL.

Dana White spills the beans about the PFL’s struggles

Over the past year, people have been talking about the PFL emerging as a credible alternative to the UFC. The promotion has associated itself with some major draws in the boxing game, including former UFC champion Francis Ngannou and YouTube-turned-professional boxer, Jake Paul. However, Dana White’s recent comments about his rival promotion’s condition have made many believe that things may not be as mellow in the PFL as people think.

While replying to founder Donn Davis‘s suggestion to Dana White, Dana White revealed the company and its investors are facing major financial losses. “When you’re losing the kind of money that they’re losing and you’re in the position that they’re in, you just start throwing sh-t at the wall and you’re trying to fight for your life,” White stated on the recent DWCS presser. “It cannot be fun to be one of their investors. That cannot be fun.” We will have to see how Davis responds to this reaction from the UFC CEO down the line.

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