Just weeks after settling for $375M, the UFC faces new antitrust allegations. MMA fighter Mikhail Cirkunovs and prominent law firms take aim at wage suppression practices. #Antitrust #UFC #LegalNews
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is facing another significant antitrust class action lawsuit in Nevada federal court, according to a recent report by Law.com. The suit, filed by former MMA fighter Mikhail Cirkunovs, accuses the UFC of leveraging "monopoly and monopsony power" to artificially suppress fighter compensation, a violation of the Sherman Act.
The lawsuit specifically targets arbitration clauses and class-action waivers embedded in fighter contracts, claiming these practices further solidify the UFC’s control over the market and limit fighters' legal options.
Legal representation for Cirkunovs includes prominent firms Berger Montague, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, Lockridge Grindal Nauen, Joseph Saveri Law Firm, and Claggett & Sykes. The named defendants are Zuffa LLC (operating as UFC), TKO Group Holdings Inc., and Endeavor Group Holdings Inc.
This litigation comes just weeks after the UFC finalized a $375 million settlement in the related Le v. Zuffa case, which resolved similar wage-suppression claims affecting over 1,000 fighters and permitting many to seek further damages in the ongoing Johnson v. Zuffa litigation.
The UFC has not yet publicly addressed the new allegations. A hearing in the Johnson case is set for June 3.
Published May 29, 2025.
