UFC Antitrust Lawsuit: Lawyers claim UFC took '$400 million in loans' to pay Dana White and other owners dividend

The UFC antitrust lawsuit has been ongoing for over eight years, with a three-year wait for class certification.

Earlier in August, the UFC received formal class certification in a 2014 antitrust lawsuit. Judge Richard F. Boulware of the U.S. District Court authorized the suit, originally initiated by around 1,200 fighters in 2020, to advance as a collective action.

Former fighters Cung Le and Jon Fitch are among the plaintiffs who claim that the MMA promotion's purported unjust business practices led to a monopoly that suppressed fighter earnings. The UFC antitrust lawsuit, which aims for damages ranging from $800 million to $1.6 billion, represents a substantial legal dispute that might influence the future of MMA competition.

According to a recent report from Bloody Elbow regarding the UFC antitrust lawsuit, an antimonopoly lawyer claimed that the UFC obtained loans totaling over $400 million to pay dividends to its owners. Apart from the reported profits of the promotion, the owners received substantial payments financed through loans.

For instance, in 2007, $199 million out of a $300 million loan was given as a dividend to Zuffa's owners. Similarly, in 2009, another $305 million was paid out, largely funded by a $100 million loan. During the same year, Lorenzo Fertitta, Frank Fertitta, and the company's current president Dana White also made a significant sale to Flash Entertainment.