UFC’s $4 Billion Sale Is Fodder for Fighters’ Antitrust Suit
- ‘A lot of money off the broken bodies of a lot of people’
- UFC owner contends no obligation to treat competitors fairly
How the UFC Became a Multi-Billion Dollar Business
When it comes to divvying up profits from their sport, some mixed martial arts fighters say they’re getting clobbered. But now, several fighters suing for a bigger share of the purse say the $4 billion sale of Ultimate Fighting Championship may give them some punch.
A pair of retired fighters and one now affiliated with a rival league accuse the premier promoter, known as UFC, of swallowing up competitors to monopolize the sport and suppress compensation for athletes, who receive a smaller chunk of revenues than competitors in other professional sports. They seek class-action status to represent potentially thousands of fighters and to boost any award they win in court, which would be tripled under U.S. antitrust law.