I guess in hindsight, we probably should have seen this coming.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) could soon find itself on the hot seat, as the ZUFFA-owned mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion is expected to be slapped with a class-action lawsuit from both current and former fighters, one that could return "hundreds of millions of dollars" in damages.
Bloody Elbow has the report.
The suit will be based on accusations that the UFC has violated antitrust laws by abusing their "market power" to intentionally and systematically cripple the free market ... seeking damages for potentially hundreds of millions of dollars due to reduced fight purses, video game rights fees, and other sources of income.
According to our sources the fighters are represented by three or four large firms renowned for antitrust litigation. The firms named to us have won major class action antitrust cases against bigger targets than the UFC, including against those in the banking, credit, technology and pharmaceutical industries.
As one well known former fighter told us "These are major players. These are not people [the UFC] will be able to out-spend."
Can't blame this one on the culinary union.
UFC has long battled the public perception that it operates as a "monopoly," thanks in part to high-profile pieces from outlets like ESPN. It also didn't help that current fighters (like this future garbage man) were calling them onto the carpet for shady tactics.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) informed the law firm of Axinn, Veltrop, and Harkrider, retained by ZUFFA to represent them during a 2012 inquiry (read it here), that it was closing its "monopoly" investigation into the world's largest fight promotion and that "no further action was warranted by the commission."
A lot has changed since then.
Including last month's Reebok deal ... which eliminates fighters' ability to secure outside sponsors. One top combatant has already felt the pinch, while another -- who fights later this evening -- has been crying foul for well over a year. Those cries fell on deaf ears.
Until now...
Stay tuned for more details on this pending lawsuit, which is likely to produce a list of names, some of which I'm sure will raise more than a few eyebrows.
Any guesses?