TKO Holdings, the parent company of the UFC, has reached a $335 million settlement in two class-action antitrust lawsuits filed by fighters seeking better pay.
The settlement was set for March 13, a month before a trial was set to begin on April 15 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, according to a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing Wednesday.
In their lawsuits, the plaintiffs alleged that the UFC was an illegal monopoly that used anti-competitive practices to suppress fighter wages and freeze rival promotions. One of the lawsuits, which represented more than 1,200 individuals, involved fighters who competed in the UFC from December 16, 2010 to June 30, 2017 and from July 1, 2017 to 2021. The plaintiffs had initially sought up to $1.6 billion. in damages.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement to settle all claims asserted by both parties [Cung] Ley et al [Kajan] “The Johnson class action lawsuits will bring the litigation to an end and benefit all parties,” a UFC spokesperson said in a statement to ESPN. “The final terms of the settlement will be submitted to the court for approval.”
The plaintiffs released a statement at X that read, in part: “We are pleased with the settlement and will disclose more during a court filing in 45-60 days.”
