UFC Fails in Bid to Have Anti-Trust Lawsuit Dismissed

The UFC came under fire this past December, when a flurry of anti-trust lawsuits from fighters like Cung Le, Jon Fitch, and Nate Quarry were filed, claiming the MMA juggernaut was utilizing anti-competitive practices that impeded its fighters’ careers.

The class action lawsuit initiated in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif. The UFC was successful in getting the case moved from San Jose to the U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, but Friday’s effort to get the case dismissed was not.

The Court denied the UFC’s motion to dismiss, so the case will move forward.

There is sure to be much more legal wrangling as the case moves forward, but it appears that the UFC was prepared for Friday’s outcome, issuing the following statement:

The UFC came under fire this past December, when a flurry of anti-trust lawsuits from fighters like Cung Le, Jon Fitch, and Nate Quarry were filed, claiming the MMA juggernaut was utilizing anti-competitive practices that impeded its fighters’ careers.

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The class action lawsuit initiated in U.S. District Court in San Jose, Calif. The UFC was successful in getting the case moved from San Jose to the U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, but Friday’s effort to get the case dismissed was not.

The Court denied the UFC’s motion to dismiss, so the case will move forward.

There is sure to be much more legal wrangling as the case moves forward, but it appears that the UFC was prepared for Friday’s outcome, issuing the following statement:

“The United States District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada held a hearing on UFC’s motion to dismiss today. The Court correctly explained that on a motion to dismiss it must consider all the factual allegations in the complaint as true, and the complaint must be liberally construed in favor of the plaintiffs. Using that standard, the Court denied the motion to dismiss. As we have consistently stated, UFC competes in a lawful manner that benefits athletes around the world and has created a premier organization in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). We look forward to proving that the allegations in the complaint are meritless.”