If our personal texts messages ever got out it might be the end of us. But hey, our net worth isn’t 300 million plus like Dana White & Lorenzo Fertitta. Smaller story but I’m sure you’re not following it, because nobody is covering it, but the UFC has been wrapped up in an antitrust lawsuit for much of 2018.
Is that like a big deal?
Could this be important?
Yup, the biggest MMA promotion in the world is in a lawsuit and nobody is talking about it. LOL. This is truly the most MMA thing ever.
Let’s let our friends over at MMA Payout break it down for you.
“The main argument in the Plaintiffs’ Opposition is that the UFC is the “major league” of MMA and it has done so through predatory means. The theory asserted is that it has become the top of the food chain in MMA through its retention of top-level fighters. It argues that “a critical mass” of elite fighters is necessary to compete with the UFC. But, the UFC’s scheme has foreclosed this opportunity.”
Payout continues
“The crux of their opposition is that the UFC’s anticompetitive scheme is based upon the retention of top tier fighters through exclusive contracts. It locked in top fighters during their “most valuable parts of their careers” and was to leverage its market power to extend exclusivity. As a result, it impaired competition despite the views of rival promoters that indicated it had no problem signing fighters it wanted”
Maybe the best part of this lawsuit is some of the evidence that is leaking out. A lot of the evidence is just Dana White talking shit about other promoters, the MMA media and him trying to explain how the UFC is really not screwing over the fighters. Um yeah, about that.
Personally we found this text exchange between Dana White & Lorenzo Fertitta to be the funniest, nerdiest, most bro thing ever. For context this is Dana and Lorenzo texting about signing Gilbert Melendez and crushing Bellator in the process.
Just can’t help but read that text exchange in the voice of a 10 year talking shit to us on Fortnite. He said homie and bro. LOL this is too good.
H/T to the crew over at @MMAPayout for breaking down the legal portions of this post. Give them a follow.
