The UFC has sought to recover Hunt`s attorney`s fees under a clause in his contract with the promotion that has potentially devastating consequences for a fighter who unsuccessfully pursues the promotion. The lawsuit alleges that Zuffa LLC (which operates as UFC) illegally acquired and maintained monopoly power in the MMA promotion market and used that power to remove compensation for UFC fighters. However, in September 2021, Hunt`s team took their case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and after a successful appeal, they are returning to court to deal with allegations of fraud and assault. That`s likely one of the reasons Hunt scoffed at the news that he had to pay six-figure legal fees, even though the March 2021 decision indicated the order wasn`t premature. The reason for this is one that could prove very costly for fighters looking to take legal action against the UFC. In other words, Hunt`s fight with the UFC will not only leave him out of pocket due to his own legal fees and inability to do his job with the promotion he seeks, but he will also suffer the consequences of having to pay the UFC`s legal fees. The legal problems of Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington will not prevent them from continuing their careers in the UFC. Mark Hunt has suffered a blow in his ongoing legal battle with the UFC and he has a fiery response for his former bosses. If you`re worried that this court case could put one of the two fighters on hold until it`s over, Dana White said that won`t be the case.
According to the UFC president, these legal issues are unlikely to affect their careers, and they will still be able to compete with the promotion. On May 8, 2020, a detailed profile of Cung Le and the case was published in Bloomberg Businessweek. On June 2 and 3, 2020, the fate of UFC fighters was covered in detail in The Athletic. A few weeks later, Bloomberg News published a video report on the lawsuit, including the underlying issues, business impact and status. “The UFC`s illegal acquisition and use of monopoly power to suppress the salaries of professional MMA fighters is inexcusable,” said Joseph Saveri, co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs. “Because other broadcasters are excluded from the upper arenas, television, pay-per-view and other national media, they simply cannot compete and are either thrown out of business or relegated to the second tier as a de facto agricultural system.” The March decision marked the resolution of a motion filed by the UFC in December 2019, in which Zuffa`s attorneys cited a clause in Hunt`s advertising contract in which the plaintiff is responsible for paying the prevailing party`s attorney`s fees (in this case, Zuffa and the UFC) if the lawsuit fails. Mark Hunt called UFC bosses Dana White and Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta while claiming he had lost his legal battle with them. Legal fees are $301,792.50 in legal fees and $86,442.72 in total costs of $388,235.22 for Hunt. Both cases are overseen by U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware of Las Vegas, NV, and allege that the UFC illegally acquired and maintained monopoly and monopson power in the MMA industry, including through the use of long-term exclusive contracts with fighters. Johnson`s complaint, as it is called in court documents, is essentially an attempt to hold the UFC accountable for continuing this alleged anticompetitive behavior after June 30, 2017, the deadline for the lawsuit originally filed in December 2014.
Johnson`s case also aims to bring UFC`s parent company, Endeavor Group Holdings, into the herd as a defendant. Hunt, 47, and the UFC have been embroiled in a legal dispute since 2017 stemming from Hunt`s fight with Brock Lesnar at UFC 200 in July 2016. Lesnar defeated Hunt unanimously, but that result was later overturned by the Nevada Athletic Commission when it was revealed that Lesnar had tested positive for clomiphene in both indoor and out-of-competition tests. “I literally have no idea what`s going on in this case, but we`ve had guys who have had legal situations and are still fighting,” White said at UFC Austin`s post-fight press conference. “I don`t think it will stop him from fighting.” A bjpenn.com article then cited a report from “Combat Sports Law” stating that Hunt had been ordered to pay the UFC $388,235 in legal fees.