UFC employees such as Michael Bisping and Chael Sonnen will likely be testifying in April.
In 2014, several former fighters including the likes of Nate Quarry and Cung Le began suing the UFC. The claim made by the former athletes is that the promotion has illegally abused its power by operating effectively as a monopoly in MMA. They secured dominance by buying out competitors such as PRIDE and Strikeforce, enabling them to pay as little as 13% of revenue.
For reference, Bellator pays around 45%, and leagues such as the NFL and NBA pay upwards of 50%. The case involving the UFC has been slow-moving for most of the last ten years. However, last year, federal judge Richard F. Boulware certified the lawsuit as a class action and got the ball rolling.
As of now, the two sides are set to go to court on April 15th, just two days after UFC 300. That is unless they can come to some sort of settlement agreement. Although, that appears to be unlikely as of now. If fighters win the lawsuit, the Dana White-led company could be forced to pay out $1.6 billion to athletes under contract from 2010 to 2017.
However, some fighters are set to come to the UFC’s defense. As first reported by BloodyElbow, there are several former, and current athletes set to testify on the company’s behalf. Some of those names include play-by-play commentator Michael Bisping, as well as longtime analyst Chael Sonnen.
It’s worth noting that several managers and coaches, such as Ali Abdelaziz, Dan Lambert, and Jason House are already set to testify on the company’s behalf as well.
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Michael Bisping, Chael Sonnen, and more to testify on UFC’s behalf at trial
The full list of fighters to testify for the UFC can be found below.
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping (30-9 MMA): ‘The Count’ signed with the UFC in 2006, and competed in the promotion uninterrupted until his 2018 retirement. A former middleweight champion, he’s currently slated to receive a payout if fighters win the lawsuit, as he didn’t remove himself from the lawsuit.
Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen (31-17 MMA): ‘The American Gangster’ first appeared in the UFC in 2005, but later left the company. However, he returned in 2009 and defeated the likes of Michael Bisping, Shogun Rua, and more. Like ‘The Count’, Sonnen didn’t remove himself from the lawsuit on the fighter’s side and will receive a payout if they win.
Former UFC lightweight title challenger Donald Cerrone (36-17 2 NC MMA): ‘Cowboy’ first appeared in the company in 2011, and wouldn’t retire for another 11 years. A multiple-time title challenger, Cerrone too, will receive a payout if fighters win the lawsuit.
UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA): ‘Iron Mike’ is the only fighter on this list ineligible for a payout if fighters win this lawsuit. Chandler famously signed with the company in late 2020, after spending most of his career in Bellator. He’s currently hoping to face Conor McGregor later this year.
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate (20-9 MMA): ‘Cupcake’ first signed to the UFC in 2013, after the company bought Strikeforce. Tate has had great success in the Dana White-led company, winning bantamweight gold in 2016. Much like Michael Bisping and others, she didn’t remove herself from the lawsuit and will receive a payout if the fighters win.
What do you make of this news? Have you been following the UFC’s antitrust lawsuit?
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