How much will fighters make after new $375M settlement in UFC antitrust lawsuit? MMA reporter John Nash explains the changes

The UFC has reportedly reached a groundbreaking $375 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit brought by over 1,000 fighters. The lawsuit spanned years of legal battles and accused the UFC of monopolistic practices.

Several fighters claimed that UFC contracts' exclusive nature and market dominance prevented them from seeking better opportunities. The settlement is being hailed as a significant victory for the fighters, who have long sought better pay and benefits.

While the financial compensation is considerable, many believe this case could set a precedent for how fighter contracts and promotions are handled in the future. In view of this development, let's take a look at how the fighters will benefit after the new $375M UFC antitrust lawsuit is settled:

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How will the new $375M settlement in UFC antitrust lawsuit financially benefit the fighters?

MMA reporter John Nash broke down the specifics of what this settlement means for individual fighters in an episode of MMA Today on Sirius XM. According to Nash, after accounting for attorney fees and other costs from the settlement, approximately $250 million will remain for fighter compensation.

This payout will be distributed based on a formula that takes into account a fighter's total compensation during the period, including base pay, performance bonuses, and pay-per-view earnings. Fighters will also receive approximately $14,000 per fight.

For example, if a fighter competed ten times during the qualifying period and earned $500,000 in total compensation, they could expect an additional $285,000 from the settlement. He said:

"Well, technically it's 73.5 million more for the fighters. I did the math, [but] I didn't do it with the additional ones. [If] the amount taken by the attorneys is basically the same, it's going to be close to $250 [million] for the fighters. That's leftover after all the attorney bills, all the experts [bills], and all the outstanding debts... So 250 million leftover, part of it 70% before was going to go to your battle compensation, your total compensation in the period, and 30% was going to be divided by how many fights you had."

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MMA reporter John Nash explains the changes after the settlement of the UFC antitrust lawsuit

John Nash also noted that while some fighters will benefit more than others based on the number of fights they participated in and their earnings, the settlement does provide meaningful financial relief to those who have long been underpaid.

Fighters who had fewer fights or earned less during the period could also benefit from this. For instance, a fighter with five fights and $70,000 in earnings could receive around $90,000.

Nash emphasized that this settlement is likely just the beginning, with broader implications for UFC's operational practices and future litigation involving fighter pay. The MMA reporter said:

"So if you're a fighter, you'll look at how much money and total compensation you made from your show, your win, your performance of the night, your discretionary bonuses, your side letters and pay-per-views. You pull that up and you should get about 30% of that total, plus almost $14,000 per fight in the U.S."

Nash added:

"So if you fought 10 times the U.S., it made half a million dollars, right? You are going to get about $285,000. That should be about roughly the amount you should get right now. If you plot, and some guys are actually going to do great. Some of you guys have fought, let's say five times the U.S., and made $70,000... You were looking at more money than the U.S., you were looking at like $90,000."

Check out John Nash's comments below: