SUMMARY
- Dana White has often been called out for the fighters pay structure as well as the limitations set on sponsorship deals and bonuses.
- In an interview with the MMA Slam podcast, the former UFC fighter opened up about the ongoing antitrust lawsuit against the organization.
The UFC has established itself on the frontier of combat sports in the last 30 years. It has always been considered the elite platform for mixed martial arts to display their talent and compete at the highest level. With a booming business and a roster full of a diverse talent pool from all across the globe, few can argue its contribution and impact on the sport.
However, these accolades have come with its own set of controversies. A major issue raised by the UFC fighters would be their pay and profit share received from the premium promotion. The UFC and its president, Dana White, are often called out on their pay structure as well as the limitations set on sponsorship deals and bonuses, which they have often denied to be a source of concern.
In an interview with the MMA Slam podcast, former UFC fighter Cung Le opened up about the remunerations received as well as the ongoing antitrust lawsuit against the organization. He stated, “Look I was compensated a lot more than a lot of fighters but for the amount of work that I had to put in and everything that I did for the UFC, it’s like pennies on the dollars”.
Cung Le highlights the same issue, in which he believes there was a clear disparity between his contribution to the company and the pay he got in return. He further shared how he was always involved in making things happen for the organization. From increasing its audience in China to taking part in coaching and promotional roles for UFC shows and interview segments.
Current state and fighters involved in antitrust lawsuit against UFC along with Cung Le
The lawsuit against the UFC covers bouts that took place or were broadcast in the U.S. from December 16, 2016, to June 30, 2017. This overall state of compensation ranges from $800 million to $1.6 billion for the fighters involved. The list would contain notable names such as Jon Fitch, Cung Le, Brandon Vera, Javier Vazquez, and Kyle Kingsbury.
Thrilled to announce that the court in the UFC case has certified the class of mma fighters. We look forward to demonstrating our allegations that the UFC has abused its market power to suppress fighter pay before a jury in Las Vegas. The fight for fighter justice continues!
— Eric Cramer (@CramerEcramer) August 9, 2023
The suit was granted class certification in 2023, taking it a step further. Overall, there would be around 1200 fighters gaining compensation for the time mentioned against the UFC for alleged violations of antitrust laws.
Antitrust lawyers reveal alleged $400 million loan to pay dividends to its owners by the UFC
Another surprising revelation was made by the antitrust lawyer, which included a loan of $400 million taken by the UFC to pay dividends to its owners. This would be apart from their usual profit earnings from the PPV events and shows.
Antitrust lawyer says UFC took out over $400 million in loans to pay owners dividends pic.twitter.com/1RChjUUwnD
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) August 30, 2023
This further raised the unjust business tactics used by the organizational top-tier management by exploiting the fighters who are the actual foundation of the business. The fighters are positive that the decision will soon be ruled in their favor in the case, which was filed in 2014.