The UFC antitrust settlement is a $375 million deal in Le v. Zuffa that a federal judge in Las Vegas gave final approval to on February 6, 2025, resolving claims that the UFC used its dominance over mixed martial arts to suppress fighter pay between December 16, 2010, and June 30, 2017. Roughly 1,100 fighters were eligible, and 97% filed claims. Individual payouts ran from about $16,000 to more than $10 million, and by April 2026 over $237 million had been paid out to 984 claimants across 44 countries.1Courthouse News Service. Judge Grants Final Approval of $375 Million UFC Antitrust Settlement2MMA Fighting. UFC Antitrust Lawsuit Payments Totalling Over $237 Million Paid to Fighters
What the Fighters Alleged
The case began in December 2014, when Cung Le, Nate Quarry, and Jon Fitch sued Zuffa, LLC, the company behind the UFC. Brandon Vera, Luis Javier Vazquez, and Kyle Kingsbury later joined as class representatives. The fighters alleged that the UFC had built and maintained a monopoly by buying out rival promotions, locking fighters into long-term exclusive contracts, and using provisions that made leaving nearly impossible.3Cohen Milstein. Mixed Martial Arts Antitrust Litigation
The legal theory rested on monopsony power: the idea that the UFC was essentially the only buyer for elite MMA fighter services. Plaintiffs said the promotion generated more than 80% of all MMA event revenue in the United States while paying athletes a fraction of what real competition would have produced. The suit was brought under Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which allows courts to triple the damages a jury awards.4Joseph Saveri Law Firm. UFC Antitrust Litigation
Academic research cited in the litigation found that UFC fighters have received roughly 20% of the promotion’s total revenue for over a decade. Athletes in the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL typically receive close to 50% of league revenue through collective bargaining. UFC fighters are independent contractors and have no union.5Taylor & Francis Online. UFC Market Dominance and Fighter Compensation
How the Case Got to $375 Million
The pivotal ruling came on August 9, 2023, when Judge Richard F. Boulware II certified a “Bout Class” of fighters who competed in UFC-promoted bouts in the United States between December 16, 2010, and June 30, 2017. In his order, Judge Boulware found that plaintiffs had “established that Defendant’s tactics were anticompetitive” and that Zuffa had shown “a clear intent to acquire and maintain monopsony power.” The Ninth Circuit declined to hear the UFC’s appeal of that certification in November 2023, and Judge Boulware denied the UFC’s summary judgment motion in January 2024.3Cohen Milstein. Mixed Martial Arts Antitrust Litigation
With trial set for April 2024 and treble damages potentially pushing exposure into the billions, the parties reached a $335 million settlement in March 2024. Judge Boulware rejected it. He found the amount low, questioned whether two groups of fighters covered by the deal had conflicting interests, and criticized the absence of injunctive relief that would change UFC business practices.6Sportico. UFC Settlement: Will the Judge Approve?
The revised deal, covering only the Le class, came back at $375 million. Judge Boulware granted preliminary approval in October 2024 and final approval on February 6, 2025, with a written order following on March 3, 2025.4Joseph Saveri Law Firm. UFC Antitrust Litigation
How Payouts Were Calculated
The settlement formula gave each fighter 32.7% of their total bout compensation during the class period, plus a flat $14,179.33 per fight. Payouts tracked how often a fighter competed and how much they were paid at the time.7Cageside Press. Anderson Silva Set for $10 Million Payout From UFC Antitrust Settlement
Out of 1,121 eligible class members, 1,088 filed claims. The average payout came to roughly $231,000; the median was about $86,000.8Yahoo Sports. As UFC Antitrust Payouts Roll In
The Largest Individual Payments
Anderson Silva, the former longtime middleweight champion who fought frequently during the class period, was set to receive the largest individual payment at approximately $10.3 million. Conor McGregor’s estimated share was about $9 million, and Ronda Rousey’s was roughly $6 million. At the other end of the range, a fighter with a single $6,000 bout received $16,138.9Yahoo Sports. UFC Fighters Are Finally Getting Their Money7Cageside Press. Anderson Silva Set for $10 Million Payout From UFC Antitrust Settlement
Fees and Service Awards
Those payouts are net of legal fees. The three lead firms, Berger Montague, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, and Joseph Saveri Law Firm, had worked the case on contingency for more than a decade. They were awarded over $115 million in attorneys’ fees, roughly 31% of the gross settlement, plus about $9.5 million in expenses. The five class representatives each received a $250,000 service award.10Berger Montague. Motion for Award of Attorneys’ Fees
When Fighters Got Paid
Checks started going out in September 2025, administered by the court-appointed Angelion Group. By April 2026, more than $237 million had reached 984 claimants across 44 countries, over 90% of eligible fighters. The remaining payments were held up by legal complications, including competing claims from spouses or taxing authorities, deaths without a will, and child support obligations. U.S. sanctions law also blocked transfers to 17 fighters living in countries subject to Office of Foreign Assets Control restrictions.2MMA Fighting. UFC Antitrust Lawsuit Payments Totalling Over $237 Million Paid to Fighters
Fighters Who Declined
Renato Moicano, a current UFC competitor whose estimated payout was around $200,000, publicly refused his share. On his podcast, Moicano said he had voluntarily signed his UFC contract and did not believe in retroactively challenging those terms. “It’s not about the money, brother. It’s about what I believe,” he said. Former fighter Brendan Schaub criticized the decision, arguing the case was about industry-wide conditions rather than any single contract.11MMA Fighting. Brendan Schaub Blasts Renato Moicano for Not Taking Antitrust Settlement Money UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell reportedly contacted Moicano personally to urge him to accept the payment.12Times of India. Renato Moicano Rejects $200,000 UFC Lawsuit Money Over Personal Beliefs Any share he did not claim is redistributed to participating fighters. His refusal was an outlier at a 97% participation rate.
What the Settlement Does Not Cover
The $375 million deal resolves claims only for fighters who competed between December 16, 2010, and June 30, 2017. Fighters who competed later, and non-UFC fighters generally, are not covered. Three separate federal cases are active, and they seek changes to UFC contracts and business practices, not just money.
Johnson v. Zuffa
Filed in June 2021 by former fighters Kajan Johnson and C.B. Dollaway, this case represents fighters who competed in UFC bouts from July 1, 2017, onward. It explicitly seeks injunctive relief to change how the UFC operates. In February 2026, plaintiffs filed a motion for severe sanctions, including a request for default judgment, alleging that TKO Operating Company, Endeavor Group Holdings, and Zuffa destroyed years of critical evidence and then tried to cover up the destruction. As of mid-2026, the court had not ruled on that motion.4Joseph Saveri Law Firm. UFC Antitrust Litigation
Cirkunovs v. Zuffa
Filed May 23, 2025, by retired fighter Misha Cirkunov, this case addresses a gap. Many UFC fighters who competed after 2017 signed contracts with arbitration clauses and class-action waivers, which the UFC argued should keep them out of the Johnson class. Cirkunovs was brought on behalf of those excluded fighters and challenges the enforceability of those contract provisions under Nevada and federal law.13Yahoo Sports. UFC Antitrust Threat Returns
Davis v. Zuffa
Filed May 29, 2025, by former UFC light heavyweight Phil Davis, who now competes for a rival promotion, this case represents professional MMA fighters who compete for organizations other than the UFC. The complaint argues that the UFC’s lock on elite talent starves rival promoters like the Professional Fighters League and suppresses pay across the sport. It seeks no money, only an injunction against what plaintiffs call the “UFC’s stranglehold on the entire sport.”14Berger Montague. Berger Montague Files New Antitrust Class Action Against UFC on Behalf of Non-UFC Professional MMA Fighters
What It Means for the UFC
TKO Group Holdings, the UFC’s publicly traded parent, disclosed the settlement in an SEC filing.15Cohen Milstein. UFC Reaches $375M Settlement in Le v. Zuffa Antitrust Lawsuit The promotion generates over $1 billion in annual revenue.5Taylor & Francis Online. UFC Market Dominance and Fighter Compensation In public statements, the UFC said it had invested heavily in growing the sport and pointed to rival promotions over the past 30 years as evidence of a competitive marketplace.16ESPN. UFC Reaches $375M Settlement in Le vs. Zuffa Antitrust Lawsuit
The settlement itself does not require the UFC to change how it does business. Judge Boulware’s earlier rejection of the $335 million deal had been driven partly by the absence of such reforms, but the revised agreement left injunctive relief to the separate Johnson case. Fighters in the Le class got paid. The business model that prompted the lawsuit is still in place, and it is still the target of three federal cases.