BERGER MONTAGUE WINS BIG FOR UFC FIGHTERS – I wish I had more to offer

PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Berger Montague, a leading national plaintiffs’ law firm, along with its co-lead counsel won preliminary approval of a $375 settlement for UFC fighters charging the UFC with violations of the antitrust laws.

“We are extremely pleased that Judge Boulware granted preliminary approval of the $375 million settlement of the Le v. Zuffa case,” said Firm Chairman and lead lawyer for the fighters, Eric Cramer. “It is a monumental achievement that will get significant relief to hundreds of deserving MMA fighters. We honor our brave representative plaintiffs who fought for this result for ten years. And we look forward to pursuing significant business changes and more damages in our second antitrust case against the UFC,” said Mr. Cramer.

Led by Eric L. Cramer, Michael Dell‘Angelo, Josh Davis, Ellen Noteware, Patrick F. Madden, David Langer, and Najah A. Jacobs, Berger Montague serves as one of three co-lead counsel on behalf of a certified class of UFC fighters who fought for the UFC between December 16, 2010 and June 30, 2017 in Le v. Zuffa, LLC. The Firm also represents a proposed class of UFC fighters, who fought for the UFC between July 1, 2017 and the present in Johnson v. Zuffa, LLC, et al. The Johnson case is seeking both damages and injunctive relief to stop the alleged anticompetitive conduct. It is unaffected by the settlement and will now continue to the discovery phase.

The complaints in the Le Action and the Johnson Action allege that the plaintiffs and members of the classes are victims of the UFC’s illegal scheme to eliminate its competition in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), and that as a result of the alleged Scheme, the UFC has suppressed compensation to MMA Fighters. The cases are pending in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada before the Honorable Richard F. Boulware, II.

More information about the agreement can be found in The Order Preliminarily Approving Settlement, Preliminarily Approving the Plan of Allocation, Approving the Notice Plan, and Approving the Proposed Schedule for Completing the Settlement Process. More information about the case generally can be found at www.bergermontague.com/ufc.

The settlement in Le v. Zuffa will now enter into the approval stage. Soon, notice of the settlement will be sent to the approximately 1100 members of the class. The Court has scheduled a final approval hearing to be held on February 6, 2025 at the U.S. District Court in Las Vegas. If the settlement is finally approved, the process of allocating funds to class members, under a plan approved by the Court, would begin. Class members can obtain more information at www.ufcfighterclassaction.com.

Berger Montague is one of the nation’s preeminent law firms focusing on complex civil litigation, class actions, and mass torts in federal and state courts throughout the United States. The firm is active in the fields of antitrust, commercial litigation, consumer protection, defective products, environmental law, employment law, securities, and whistleblower cases, among many other practice areas. For more than 50 years, Berger Montague has played lead roles in precedent-setting cases and has recovered over $60 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. Berger Montague is headquartered in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington, D.C., and Wilmington, DE.