"TKO up 7% since this announcement" - Fans say "UFC GOT OFF BIG" after settling antitrust class action lawsuit for $335 million

Fans aren't overly satisfied with the result of the UFC antitrust lawsuit.

Over the past decade, hundreds of former fighters, including Cung Le and Jon Fitch, among others, have filed several lawsuits against the worldwide leader in MMA for business malpractice. After several failed attempts, an antitrust case accusing the promotion of running a monopsony was scheduled to go to trial next month.

The court proceedings will no longer require a judge, as a settlement was announced earlier today. An official statement from the United States Securities And Exchange Commission (SEC) read:

"On March 13, 2023, TKO reached an agreement to settle all claims asserted in both class action lawsuits (Le and Johnson) for an aggregate amount of #335 million payable by the Company and its subsidiaries in installments over and agreed-upon period of time."

Once the settlement went viral, the MMA community seemed mostly disappointed by the result. Although the former fighters are getting paid, the UFC will likely face no other consequences outside of a tax-deductible fee.

Several fans shared the following reactions on Twitter about the situation:

"Tko up 7% since this announcement lol"

"UFC GOT OFF BIG. this suit would have changed their entire business models but 12k/12k lives on"

"It's official. $335m. Tax deductible for the UFC. No mention of contract changes here."

Twitter comments

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Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association releases statement after settling UFC antitrust lawsuit

The Mixed Martial Arts Fighters Association expended significant resources to battle the UFC in court. Therefore, the settlement validated their efforts and potentially changed the lives of several former fighters. They released the following statement on X (formerly Twitter) about the settlement:

"Today's decision is a victory for past, current and UFC fighters, and moves us one step closer to our goal of making MMA a legitimate professional sport where wins determine title shots, not promoters."

There does, however, appear to be a sense of discontent regarding the antitrust settlement. There was hope that the MMAFA would help change the structure of the UFC and potentially increase fighter pay for athletes in the future.

Despite the payout, the promotion likely won't face any other repercussions for the accusations brought upon them, and it's unlikely that the fighter pay structure currently in place gets significantly revamped.