UFC Lawsuit: $375 Million Settlement Paid Out, Johnson Case Still Open
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The UFC lawsuit settlement in the news is Le v. Zuffa: $375 million for fighters who fought in UFC bouts held or broadcast in the U.S. from December 16, 2010 to June 30, 2017. As of the March 31, 2026 update, $237.4 million had gone to 984 of the 1,088 fighters who filed. The claim deadline passed on June 16, 2025. Fans and pay-per-view buyers are not in this class. Fighters from July 1, 2017 on are covered by a separate case, Johnson v. Zuffa, which has no settlement and no trial date.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the UFC Lawsuits Allege
The fighter cases are antitrust cases about pay. The Le plaintiffs alleged that Zuffa, the UFC’s operator, violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act by using its dominance to hold down what it paid fighters — buying rival promotions and tying fighters to exclusive contracts, according to the complaints. The UFC denied the claims and said there was “ample competition” for fighters and that it raised fighter pay over the period. The settlement is not a finding that the UFC did anything wrong.
Johnson v. Zuffa makes substantially similar allegations for the period from July 1, 2017 onward and asks for both damages and an injunction to stop the alleged conduct. A newer case, Costantino v. Zuffa, is brought by viewers: it alleges the same conduct pushed up prices for UFC pay-per-view events and the Paramount+ streaming service.
Case Details
All of the cases are in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada before Judge Richard F. Boulware II.
Le v. Zuffa, LLC, No. 2:15-cv-01045-RFB-BNW — five fighter suits filed between December 2014 and March 2015, consolidated in June 2015. Class certified August 9, 2023; settlement signed September 26, 2024; approved February 6, 2025. Settled and paying out.
Johnson v. Zuffa, LLC, No. 2:21-cv-01189 — filed June 24, 2021 for fighters from July 1, 2017 to the present. Motion to dismiss denied September 30, 2022. No class certified, no trial date.
Cirkunovs v. Zuffa, No. 2:25-cv-00914 (filed May 23, 2025) — post-2017 fighters whose contracts have arbitration clauses; stayed while the defendants appeal. Davis v. Zuffa, No. 2:25-cv-00946 (filed May 29, 2025) — fighters for other promotions, seeks only injunctive relief, no money. Costantino v. Zuffa, No. 2:26-cv-00539 (filed February 26, 2026) — proposed fan classes; the UFC moved to dismiss and compel arbitration on July 21, 2026.
Status: The $375 Million Is Being Paid; Nothing New to Claim
Johnson v. Zuffa: active, in discovery. As of TKO’s quarterly report for the period ending June 30, 2026, no trial date was set. The most recent fights are over evidence: at a status conference in early September 2026 the court, according to a podcast account of the hearing, took up an allegedly undisclosed phone used by a UFC executive, and on October 1, 2026 the defendants filed a motion to compel the fighters to produce documents. There has been no UFC lawsuit ruling on the merits in Johnson. For the full payout ledger, see our UFC settlement payout report.
Who Is in the Fighter Class
The Le class is everyone who competed in one or more live professional UFC-promoted MMA bouts taking place or broadcast in the United States from December 16, 2010 to June 30, 2017. People who are not U.S. residents or citizens are excluded unless the UFC paid them for a bout fought in the United States. 1,088 of the 1,121 eligible fighters filed claims — 97%, per class counsel.
Not in the class: fans, pay-per-view buyers, UFC Fight Pass or Paramount+ subscribers, and fighters whose UFC bouts were all after June 30, 2017. Post-2017 UFC fighters are in the proposed Johnson class, which has no money to pay. Fans are only in the proposed Costantino classes, which have no settlement.
What the UFC Class Action Lawsuit Payout Looks Like
For everyone else, the honest answer on UFC lawsuit payouts is zero for now: Johnson, Cirkunovs, Davis and Costantino have no settlement, no fund and no claim form. To compare how other approved deals pay, see open class action settlements and the payout calculator.
UFC Class Action Settlement Timeline
- 1
August 9, 2023 — Fighter Class Certified
Judge Boulware certifies a class of fighters with UFC bouts held or broadcast in the U.S. from December 16, 2010 to June 30, 2017.
- 2
September 26, 2024 — $375 Million Deal Signed
The parties agree to settle Le for $375 million; preliminary approval follows on October 23, 2024.
- 3
February 6, 2025 — Settlement Approved
The court approves the settlement at the fairness hearing. Claims for Johnson are not released.
- 4
June 16, 2025 — Claim Deadline Passes
1,088 of 1,121 eligible fighters filed. The UFC completes its payments into the fund the same month; distribution is ordered October 3, 2025.
- 5
March 31, 2026 — $237.4 Million Paid
The latest update reports payments to 984 claimants in 44 countries; 104 remain pending for bank, legal and sanctions reasons.
- 6
October 2026 — Johnson Still in Discovery
The post-2017 fighters’ case is in evidence disputes, with a defendants’ motion to compel filed October 1, 2026. No class, no trial date, no settlement.
Three Things to Watch For
Large individual checks and a public list of who was in the class make UFC fighters an obvious target:
“We can still get you into the UFC settlement”
The claim deadline was June 16, 2025, and claims are closed. Anyone offering to file a late claim, or to “speed up” a payment for a percentage, is selling something that does not exist.
Emails asking you to update bank or wire details
Dozens of pending payments really are waiting on ACH or wire fixes, which is exactly what a fake “administrator” email will copy. Do not reply to the message; call the number on the official site, 1-866-955-5564, and confirm before sending any account information.
“UFC pay-per-view refund” sign-ups
There is no settlement for fans. The viewers’ case, Costantino, is fighting a motion to send it to arbitration. A site collecting card numbers for a “PPV refund” is not connected to any court.
UFC Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
What is the UFC lawsuit about?
Fighters allege the UFC used its market power to suppress their pay, in violation of federal antitrust law. The first case, Le v. Zuffa, settled for $375 million. The UFC denied wrongdoing. A follow-up case, Johnson v. Zuffa, makes the same kind of claims for fighters from July 1, 2017 on.
Who gets money from the UFC class action settlement?
Only fighters who competed in UFC-promoted bouts held or broadcast in the U.S. from December 16, 2010 to June 30, 2017 and filed a claim by June 16, 2025. 1,088 fighters did.
How much are the UFC lawsuit payouts?
Each payment depends on the fighter’s UFC pay and number of bouts in the class period, with a $15,000 minimum. As of March 31, 2026, $237,386,515.53 had been paid to 984 claimants. Our payout report has the projected average and median.
Can I still file a claim?
No. The claim deadline was June 16, 2025, and claims are closed. If you filed and have not been paid, contact the administrator through UFCFighterClassAction.com or at 1-866-955-5564.
I bought UFC pay-per-views. Do I get anything?
Not from this settlement — fans were never in the class. A proposed fan class action, Costantino v. Zuffa (No. 2:26-cv-00539), covers pay-per-view buyers through January 1, 2026 and Paramount+ subscribers, but it has no settlement, and the UFC moved on July 21, 2026 to dismiss it and compel arbitration.
What is the latest UFC lawsuit ruling?
In the fighter cases, the most recent merits-related order we found is the denial of the UFC’s motion to dismiss Davis on March 31, 2026. In Johnson, the fights since early September 2026 are about evidence and document production, not about who wins; a defendants’ motion to compel was filed October 1, 2026.
I fought in the UFC after June 30, 2017. Am I covered?
Not by the $375 million. Your bouts fall in the proposed Johnson class (July 1, 2017 to the present), which has no certified class, no settlement and no trial date. You do not need to sign up; if a class is certified or a deal is reached, notice goes to class members directly. If your contract has an arbitration clause, the separate Cirkunovs case concerns you; it is stayed pending an appeal.
I filed in Le v. Zuffa and still haven’t been paid. Why?
The March 31, 2026 update lists five reasons for the 104 pending payments: 15 bank queries, 25 payment instructions under review, 37 ACH or wire problems (a check may be offered), 10 legal issues such as estates, divorces or child support, and 17 claimants in countries under U.S. sanctions. No end date has been published. Settlement money can be taxable; the settlement tax calculator gives a rough idea.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.
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