11/3/23: UFC Anti-Trust Case Gets One Step Closer To Trial
UFC’s attempt at appealing a class action lawsuit filed by fighters has failed.
Welcome to the Friday edition of the Knockdown Daily. Today’s issue is a big one! We’re recapping the top news stories from the past two days, previewing today’s busy schedule, and going over some other recent notes. Let’s begin!
UFC’s Appeal Denied In Anti-Trust Case
UFC’s attempt at appealing a class action lawsuit filed by fighters has failed.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals submitted a document Wednesday that shows they denied UFC’s attempt to challenge the class action certification of the lawsuit, which was made by Judge Richard Boulware in August. Reporter John S. Nash posted the filing on social media shortly after it was published.
The lawsuit, known formally in the U.S. District Court of Nevada as Cung Le, et al. v. Zuffa, alleges that UFC used “improper strategies” to control the MMA market and keep the pay of fighters “less than half as much as they otherwise would have received,” per the plaintiff’s official website. This summer, it was certified that the lawsuit would go to trial as a class action.
The lawsuit covers fighters who competed in UFC bouts in the U.S. from December 2010 to June 2017, which would be roughly 1,200 plaintiffs and could total more than a billion dollars in damages. Barring any type of settlement, this case is on track to head to court in April of next year.
New unredacted filings in the lawsuit were unsealed recently, showing the entire pay that many prominent UFC fighters walked away with, including both disclosed payments and non-disclosed payments. Bloody Elbow has published a report detailing some of this information.
The story shows that Conor McGregor made roughly $3 million for his fight with Chad Mendes and that his pay increased to about $6 million when he faced Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205. The pay of Ronda Rousey, which was at just $574,000 when she faced Liz Carmouche, went up to nearly $5 million by the time she fought Amanda Nunes. Their full exclusive report can be read here.
UFC Reports $1.1 Billion In 2022 Revenue, More Than $600 Million In First Half of 2023
A new disclosure filed by UFC’s publicly traded parent company — TKO Group Holdings — shows the strong revenue that the promotion has made in recent years.
Paperwork filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ahead of TKO’s third-quarter earnings call — which will take place on Tuesday — shows that the UFC earned a total of $1.14 billion in profit last year, with a staggering $794 million of that money coming from “media rights and content.” Sponsorships earned the company $166 million, and live events gave them $125 million in 2022. $53 was also recorded as revenue from “consumer product licensing.”
The document also showed the revenue that UFC has generated in 2023 thus far. The promotion earned $306 million in the first quarter, up 18 percent year-over-year. In the second quarter, a similar figure of $305 million was reported.
A report from Damon Martin of MMA Fighting highlights two key developments that could be reflected in the quarterly profit reports to come: The promotion’s new multi-year sponsorship deal with Bud Light that reportedly crossed over the $100 million line, and the negotiations for a new U.S. broadcast rights deal, which is expected to be discussed next year.
UFC Announces First Event In China Since 2019
For the first time in years, UFC will be heading to China.
The promotion confirmed on Tuesday that they will host a “Fight Night” card on December 9th from the Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Shanghai, China. The event will mark the UFC’s first appearance in the country since 2019.
UFC hasn’t confirmed a main event for the card but announced this week that the finale of their four ongoing “Road To UFC” tournaments will conclude as part of the lineup.
In the lightweight bracket, undefeated seven-fight talent Shin Haraguchi will face Rongzhu, who is trying to fight his way back onto the UFC roster through the bracket.
It will be an all-China matchup in the featherweight final, as former ONE Championship fighter Li Kaiwen will meet Yizha. This is Yizha’s second appearance in a Road To UFC tournament, with his 2022-23 run ending with a split decision loss to Lee Jeong-yeong in the finals.
At bantamweight, Xiao Long will take on Lee Chang-ho. And in a flyweight contest, Japanese prospect Rei Tsuruya will take on Lee Jiniushiyue.
UFC has previously appeared in China six times, with their first-ever event in the country dating back to 2012. The last time they were in the country, Zhang Weili scored a first-round finish win against Jessica Andrade to become the new UFC Strawweight Champion. Their last appearance in Shanghai specifically goes back to 2017, when Kelvin Gastelum beat Michael Bisping in a middleweight main event.
Here are all of the matchups that have been reported for UFC’s return to Beijing thus far:
Bout 10: Andre Muniz (23-6) vs. Park Jun-yong (17-5) (Middleweight)
Bout 9: Nasrat Haqparast (15-5) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (17-6) (Lightweight)
Bout 8: Tatsuro Taira (14-0) vs. Carlos Hernandez (9-2) (Flyweight)
Bout 7: Zhang Mingyang (16-6) vs. Brendson Ribeiro (15-5) (Light Heavyweight)
Bout 6: Sumudaerji (16-5) vs. Allan Nascimento (20-6) (Flyweight)
Bout 5: Park Hyun-sung (8-0) vs. Shannon Ross (13-8) (Flyweight)
Bout 4: Xiao Long (26-7) vs. Lee Chang-ho (9-1) (Road To UFC Bantamweight Final)
Bout 3: Rei Tsuruya (8-0) vs. Jiniushiyue (13-2) (Road To UFC Flyweight Final)
Bout 2: Li Kaiwen (12-5) vs. Yizha (24-4) (Road To UFC Featherweight Final)
Bout 1: Rongzhu (24-5) vs. Shin Haraguchi (7-0) (Road To UFC Lightweight Final)
Friday: What’s On
ONE Championship MMA Titleholder Looks At Kickboxing Gold
In February, Fabricio de Andrade earned a title for the first time in his pro career. After seven fights in ONE Championship and only 11 overall, de Andrade overcame UFC vet John Lineker with a fourth-round stoppage to earn ONE Championship’s 145-pound MMA Championship.
De Andrade will look for even more gold on Friday night, switching over to kickboxing to face Jonathan Haggerty from the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Haggerty won’t be an easy challenge for de Andrade. He has fought in ONE’s Muay Thai division since 2019, earning wins over names like Sam-A Gaiyanghadao and Taiki Naito.
While the odds are against a de Andrade win, it will be a chance at ONE history for him. If he wins, he will become the ninth-ever ONE fighter to hold more than two belts. Not only that, he will be only the fourth in promotion history to have two belts, with each in a different combat sport.
The kickboxing bout will headline a ONE Championship card that will also include MMA, Muay Thai, and grappling. Lower on the card, flyweight veterans Meng Bo and Ayaka Miura will face off, and undefeated heavyweight Ben Tynan will make his ONE debut against Kang Ji Won.
Here’s the full lineup:
Main Card (8:00PM EDT / 7:00AM ICT) (Amazon Prime Video)
Bout 10: Jonathan Haggerty vs. Fabricio de Andrade (Vacant ONE Featherweight Kickboxing Championship)
Bout 9: Tye Ruotolo vs. Magomed Abdulkadirov (ONE Middleweight Grappling Championship)
Bout 8: Saeksan Or Kwanmuang vs. Johan Estupinan (140 lbs Muay Thai)
Bout 7: Halil Amir (9-0) vs. Ahmed Mujtaba (10-3) (Welterweight)
Bout 6: Sinsamut Klinmee vs. Liam Nolan (Welterweight Muay Thai)
Bout 5: Zhang Peimian vs. Rui Botelho (Flyweight Kickboxing)
Bout 4: Meng Bo (21-6) vs. Ayaka Miura (11-5) (Flyweight)
Bout 3: Kang Ji Won (6-1) vs. Ben Tynan (4-0) (Heavyweight)
Bout 2: Supergirl vs. Cristina Morales (Strawweight Kickboxing)
Bout 1: Jeremy Miado (10-5) vs. Lito Adiwang (14-5) (Flyweight)
Pair of Title Fights Set For LFA 171 In Brazil
LFA will present two strong title fights between prospects when they head to the Ginasio do Polvilho in Sao Paulo, Brazil this evening.
LFA Heavyweight Champion Eduardo Neves will attempt to defend his title for the first time in the main event, taking on Hugo Cunha. Neves earned his title in March, scoring a first-round finish over Hyago Silva. He will actually be trying to return to the win column on Friday, as he suffered a loss to Jhonata Diniz on “Dana White’s Contender Series” in September. Cunha, a former ONE Championship fighter, has a record of six first-round finish wins, including his LFA debut in May. He’ll try to add another this weekend and also earn a belt in the process.
Undefeated prospects Gabriel Costa and Jefferson Nascimento will compete for the promotion’s vacant interim lightweight title in the co-main event. Both have competed just a few years on the regional scene, quickly rising through the ranks with lots of stoppage victories to their names. They both competed on LFA 162 in July, earning finish wins and putting them in the title shot position they’re in now.
LFA 171 is a busy card full of Brazilian prospects. Here’s the lineup:
Main Card (9:00PM EDT / 10:00PM BRT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 14: Eduardo Neves (7-2) vs. Hugo Cunha (7-1) (LFA Heavyweight Championship)
Bout 13: Gabriel Costa (8-0) vs. Jefferson Nascimento (10-0) (Vacant Interim LFA Lightweight Championship)
Bout 12: Marcio Barbosa (14-2) vs. Gian Sarturi (8-2) (Featherweight)
Bout 11: Alisson Murilo (9-1) vs. Marcos Degli (9-3) (Flyweight)
Bout 10: Jose Augusto (8-4) vs. Richard Jacobi (7-1-1) (Heavyweight)
Bout 9: Michael Oliveira (5-0) vs. Antonio Eudardo (4-1) (Welterweight)
Preliminary Card
Bout 8: Jose Ochoa (6-0) vs. Juscelino Pantoja (5-0) (Flyweight)
Bout 7: Gustavo Henrique (5-2) vs. Demison Rodrigues (8-1) (Featherweight)
Bout 6: Gabriel Silva (9-3) vs. Carlos Henrique da Cruz (9-4) (Bantamweight)
Bout 5: Alessandro Gambulino (13-4) vs. Ryan Gandra (5-1) (Middleweight)
Bout 4: Guilherme Uriel (4-0) vs. Lucas Camacho (4-0) (Heavyweight)
Bout 3: Geovanis Palacios (6-0) vs. Gabriel Ramos (4-0-1) (Welterweight)
Bout 2: Lany Silva (3-0) vs. Sarah Barwick (2-0) (Strawweight)
Bout 1: Gabriela Fujimoto (3-0) vs. Thayla Martinelli (2-1) (Strawweight)
Strawweight Prospects Aim To Earn CFFC Belt
Strawweight talents Fatima Kline and Jazmine Navarrete will have the chance to become the third-ever CFFC Strawweight Champion on Friday night, competing in the main event from the Horseshoe Casino & Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi, USA.
The two previous CFFC Strawweight Champions in the promotion’s history were Miranda Granger and Elise Reed, two names who went on to become UFC fighters. Could it be a similar fate for Kline, who is coming off four straight wins in Invicta FC, or Navarrete, who has quickly earned five wins since her 2021 debut?
Here’s a full look at CFFC 127, which is also in the lineup for a busy Friday night of MMA.
Main Card (9:00PM EDT / 8:00PM CDT) (UFC Fight Pass)
Bout 10: Fatima Kline (4-0) vs. Jazmin Navarrete (6-0) (Vacant CFFC Strawweight Championship)
Bout 9: Jamelle Jones (13-8) vs. Jesse Murray (9-5) (Light Heavyweight)
Bout 8: Kevin Pease (3-0) vs. Carlton Terrance (3-3) (Welterweight)
Bout 7: Ethan Melisano (2-0) vs. Jimi Natividad (2-2) (Flyweight)
Bout 6: DeAndre Anderson (6-3) vs. Gage Gill (5-0) (Bantamweight)
Bout 5: Khadzhimurat Bestaev (11-5) vs. Keanan Patershuk (4-1) (Middleweight)
Preliminary Card
Bout 4: Justus Faaiu (6-3) vs. Phillip Latu (4-1) (Light Heavyweight)
Bout 3: Chase Mann (1-0) vs. Jarious Gill (2-3) (Welterweight)
Bout 2: Brennan McKisick (3-0) vs. Steve Collins (1-0) (Lightweight)
Bout 1: Adryan Grundy (0-1) vs. Harvey Mardis (1-0) (Featherweight)
Notes On: UFC, RIZIN, Cage Warriors and KSW
A small change has been made to Saturday’s UFC card from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Esteban Ribovics (12-1) has withdrawn from his lightweight fight against Elves Brener (15-3). Replacing him will be UFC newcomer Kaynan Kruschewsky (15-1), per Octagon Update. Kruschewsky earned a UFC contract two months ago, submitting Dylan Mantello on “Dana White’s Contender Series.” Previous wins on his record include victories in LFA and title fights in regional Brazilian promotion Jungle Fight. Because of the short-notice change, this bout will now be held at a catchweight of 165 pounds instead of lightweight.
UFC has announced a new opponent for Jeka Saragih (13-3) for their November 18th show. He is now expected to face Lucas Alexander (8-3), as announced this week. Saragih, who is fighting to bounce back from his promotional debut loss, was originally scheduled to face Jesse Butler, who withdrew last week due to injury. Alexander earned his first UFC win in March, beating Steven Peterson on scorecards.
Both looking to get into the win column, welterweights Yohan Lainesse (9-2) and Sam Patterson (10-2-1) have been matched up for UFC 297, per Knockout Alerts. Patterson, a “Dana White’s Contender Series” alum, is coming off a debut loss to Yanal Ashmouz. Lainesse suffered his second UFC defeat through three appearances in February, getting submitted in the first round by Mike Malott.
Nine-fight UFC vet Justin Scoggins (15-6) has been pulled from his bout this Saturday against Mehman Mamedov (6-6) at RIZIN LANDMARK 7 in Azerbaijan. Replacing him will be Turkish talent Ferit Goktepe (4-1), who is coming off a 2022 that saw him earn two wins through three appearances. The fight was scheduled to be Scoggins’ return to RIZIN after four years outside of the promotion.
Appearing in his 10th Cage Warriors bout, former title challenger Will Currie (10-3) will face Wallison Henrique (16-13) at middleweight as part of the promotion’s November 11th show from London, England.
Lightweight prospects Michael Blair (2-1) and Guido Possidente (3-1) have been added to Cage Warriors 164 on November 25th from Newcastle, England.
Jacek Gac (2-0) has received a new opponent for KSW 88 on November 11th. Instead of facing Jivko Stoimenov (14-6), he is now matched up against Michal Gniady (1-0) at a catchweight of 176 pounds.