UFC has amended its trial brief before the antitrust lawsuit trial on April 15 in Las Vegas. It was earlier reported that the settlement conference between Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, and 1200+ fighters suing the MMA promotion has engaged in a “private mediation,” promoting fans to think that the Dana White-led promotion could be looking at an out-of-court settlement.
Defendant (Zuffa AKA UFC) refiles an amended Trial Brief. Original on the left, amended on the right, pic.twitter.com/excNDubdED
— John S. Nash (@heynottheface) February 28, 2024
According to recent developments, Zuffa has amended the trial brief where Michael Bisping will be acting as a witness for the UFC against the plaintiff (Cung Le).
UFC makes a U-turn on PED accusations on Cung Le
In the original trial brief, “after which Plaintiff Le tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs” is mentioned in clear writing. However, in the amended document, Zuffa has decided to omit this sentence. And it’s not surprising. Here’s why.
Michael Bisping fought Cung Le in August 2014 on UFC Fight Night 48 headliner. Bisping won the fight via TKO in the early seconds of the fourth round. At the time, after the fight, it was announced that Le had tested positive for abnormal levels of HGH. However, UFC later clarified that Le did not test positive for PED, and the positive test was a result of a massive botch in the lab.
“Following the announcement of Le’s suspension, UFC officials have been provided with medical advice regarding the elevated total HGH present in Le’s system. In accordance with such medical advice, UFC has determined that Le’s elevated total HGH by itself does not prove that he took performance-enhancing drugs before the August 23rd bout. As a result, UFC has informed Le that his suspension is rescinded.” Statement from the UFC in 2014 read.
The entire drug-testing fiasco put Cung Le’s MMA career on the back foot. For a brief period, UFC even suspended the former Strikeforce Champion. Needless to say, UFC almost contradicted their own statement in the trial brief, and the amendment only seems fitting, looking at how quickly the case is moving forward.
Read more about the UFC antitrust lawsuit here.