Tag: Jon Fitch

Plaintiffs strike key win in UFC antitrust lawsuit after judges deny defendant’s appeal

The UFC was denied an appeal Wednesday, taking the ongoing antitrust lawsuit one step closer to trial.

A pair of judges have denied the UFC’s request to appeal class certification in its ongoing antitrust lawsuit.

In August, the lawsuit filed in 2014 by former UFC fighters seeking damages from the promotion was granted “bout class” certification in the U.S. District Court in Las Vegas. The UFC’s legal team said they anticipated the decision and planned to appeal the decision by federal judge Richard F. Boulware.

In response, the plaintiffs filed a 30-page opposition brief in September, stating the promotion’s appeal did not address “extensive evidence in support of class certification.”

In a one-page document filed Wednesday, two judges with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denied the appeal request from the promotion’s attorneys. The decision is a key win for the plaintiffs, who include former UFC fighters Cung Le, John Fitch, Kyle Kingsbury, and Brandon Vera, among others.

The former fighters allege the UFC suppressed fighter pay through anti-competitive tactics such as shutting out competition and controlling the market for top-level fighters from 2010-2017. They seek $811 million to $1.6 billion in damages from the Las Vegas-based promotion, which could apply to 1,200 fighters during the time period alleged in the lawsuit.

Judge Boulware previously stated he intends to make the case a priority, seeking to hold a trial in March or April 2024, a decade after the initial filing. The rejection of the UFC’s appeal means the case is one step closer to reaching trial, although there are more hurdles to be cleared.

The promotion is also dealing with another antitrust lawsuit headed by Kajan Johnson, who fought for the UFC from 2014-18. That case is similar to the one headed by Le, however, it covers fighters who competed from June 2017 to the present day.

Video: What’s the latest in the UFC’s antitrust lawsuit?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses the latest updates to the ongoing UFC antitrust lawsuit.

Since 2014, former UFC fighters have been seeking damages in an antitrust lawsuit against the promotion.

This week, there was a major development in the case as federal judge Richard F. Boulware granted “bout class” certification, which means fighters under Zuffa from Dec. 16, 2010 until June 30, 2017, can collectively file suit against the UFC for potential violations of antitrust laws.

Former UFC fighters leading the charge include [autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag], [autotag]Cung Le[/autotag], and [autotag]Brandon Vera[/autotag], among others. The latest development is a big step for the former competitors, although the promotion’s legal team intends to appeal the decision.

MMA Junkie’s “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Nolan King, Brian Garcia and Dan Tom joined host “Gorgeous” George Garcia to discuss the latest updates to the case, and what it means for the fighters involved.

Watch the segment above, and Monday’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below.

Antitrust lawsuit against UFC takes next key step: class certification officially granted

Former UFC fighters seeking damages had a big win in federal court Wednesday.

Nearly a decade after an antitrust lawsuit was filed by former UFC fighters seeking damages from the promotion, a federal judge officially has granted class certification.

According to an 80-page opinion document acquired by MMA Junkie, federal judge Richard F. Boulware granted the “bout class” certification Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. The development was first reported by John Nash.

The “bout class” certification means 1,200 fighters who fought for Zuffa from Dec. 16, 2010, until June 30, 2017, collectively can file suit against the UFC for alleged violations of antitrust laws.

Boulware denied certification, however, for a proposed “identity class,” which would’ve created an avenue for fighters who claim the UFC “expropriated or exploited” their identity rights through its sale of merchandise.

The plaintiffs, who include former UFC headliners [autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag], [autotag]Cung Le[/autotag] and [autotag]Brandon Vera[/autotag], among others, seek $811 million to $1.6 billion in damages. The suit also potentially could lead to injunctive relief.

The lawsuit initially was filed in 2014 and alleges the UFC utilized monopsony power to depress fighters’ earnings as well as market competition. In 2020, Boulware initially indicated the class-action certification was coming but an official filing did not come until nearly three years later.

UFC lead counsel William A. Isaacson told ESPN he anticipated Wednesday’s decision and his legal team plans to appeal the decision.

“This is just one step in a long legal process, and we are confident that the Court will ultimately recognize that the claims outlined in this lawsuit are legally and factually meritless,” Isaacson told the UFC’s broadcast partner. “UFC’s own continued growth accompanied by the growth of other established MMA promoters and the prevalence of successful new market entrants all demonstrate the existence of a healthy and competitive MMA market which benefits athletes, promoters and fans alike.”

Conversely, plaintiff attorney Eric Cramer was pleased with the decision, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“Thrilled to announce that the court in the UFC case has certified the class of mma fighters,” Cramer wrote. “We look forward to demonstrating our allegations that the UFC has abused its market power to suppress fighter pay before a jury in Las Vegas. The fight for fighter justice continues!”

Court proceedings will continue Aug. 21 with the matter’s next status conference.

UFC antitrust lawsuit moves forward with judge granting class-action status

The decision means 1,214 fighters are grouped together to sue the UFC for estimated damages of approximately $800 million to $1.6 billion.

In a big win for the plaintiffs in the years-long UFC antitrust lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware has certified it with class-action status.

Boulware, who made the announcement Thursday, granted certification for the bout class but did not grant the same for the identity class. The decision was expected after Boulware tipped his hand back in September.

A full written order is expected Monday.

Granting certification for the bout class is a crucial step for the plaintiffs, which include former UFC fighters [autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag], [autotag]Cung Le[/autotag] and [autotag]Nate Quarry[/autotag]. As a class-action suit, 1,214 fighters are grouped together to sue the UFC for estimated damages of approximately $800 million to $1.6 billion, looking to prove that the UFC possessed monopoly power to depress their earnings.

“I can’t convey how big this is for the sport of MMA,” Quarry said on Twitter. “Thank you to our whole team that’s been working on this for over five years and to the other plaintiffs I’m honored to stand beside. We’re one step closer to fighters having a seat at the table.”

Quarry ended his tweet with the hashtags #FreeMarket and #Capitalism.

The bout class will move forward, pending an appeal by the UFC, which could also choose to settle.

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Bellator 246 results: Neiman Gracie submits Jon Fitch, who retires after loss

Jon Fitch called it a career on Saturday night after his submission loss to Neiman Gracie.

[autotag]Jon Fitch [/autotag] is one of the finest minds at adapting wrestling for MMA usage the sport has ever produced. But even the knowledge gained by a long career’s worth of experience could only fend off a submission artist like [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] for so long.

Gracie (10-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) basically spent the entirety of their Bellator 246 co-main event welterweight fight hunting for a submission, and he finally got the nod at the 4:47 mark of the second round.

After the fight, Fitch (32-8-2 MMA, 1-1-1 BMMA) put his gloves down to symbolize his retirement.

“It’s been a long journey, my body’s been through a lot I have a lot of things I’m looking forward to in the future outside the cage, so it’s time to go,” Fitch said.

Gracie put on a grappling clinic in the opening round, as he attempted nearly a half-dozen submission attempts, from rear-naked chokes to heel hooks and everything in between. It was to Fitch’s credit that he managed to finagle his way out of several hairy situations.

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Fitch was doing a better job neutralizing Gracie in the second round for the majority of the stanza. But Gracie none the less found himself in a position he wanted on the mat with Fitch in the final minute, and he sunk the knee bar in tight, giving Fitch no choice but to submit.

Gracie shook off his first career loss, to then-welterweight champion Rory MacDonald, in earning his ninth career submission out of 10 victories. Fitch, in his final fight, had a six fight unbeaten streak (5-0-1) snapped.

The welterweight fight was the co-feature bout of Bellator 246, which tool place Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card aired on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 246 results:

  • Neiman Gracie def. Jon Fitch via submission (heel hook) — Round 2, 4:47
  • Liz Carmouche def. DeAnna Bennett via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 3, 3:17
  • Keoni Diggs def. Derek Campos via technical submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 3, 4:59
  • Daniel Madrid def. Pat Casey via split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
  • Ty Gwerder def. George Tokkos via TKO (strikes) — Round 3, 1:05
  • Davion Franklin def. Ras Hylton via unanimous technical decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Bellator 246 predictions: Juan Archuleta or Patchy Mix – who’s the next 135 champ?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 246 main card, featuring Juan Archuleta vs. Patchy Mix for the bantamweight title.

Archuleta
vs.
Mix		 Fitch
vs.
Gracie		 Bennett
vs.
Carmouche		 Campos
vs.
Diggs
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2020: 91-58		 archuleta2020
Archuleta
(57%)		 gracie2020
Gracie
(59%)		 carmouche2020
Carmouche
(86%)		 diggs2020
Diggs
(51%)
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2020: 103-46		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2020: 102-47		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2020: 101-48		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Simon Head
@simonhead
2020: 99-50
trophy copy 2019 Champion*		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Danny Segura
@dannyseguratv
2020: 98-51		 archuleta2020
Archuleta		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2020: 97-52
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 archuleta2020
Archuleta		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2020: 96-53		 archuleta2020
Archuleta		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2020: 96-53		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 diggs2020
Diggs
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2020: 96-53
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2020: 93-56
trophy copy 2018 Champion		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2020: 92-57		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 bennett2020
Bennett		 diggs2020
Diggs
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2020: 91-58		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2020: 89-60		 mix2020
Mix		 gracie2020
Gracie		 carmouche2020
Carmouche		 campos2020
Campos
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2020: 62-87		 archuleta2020
Archuleta		 fitch2020
Fitch		 bennett2020
Bennett		 campos2020
Campos

Bellator has back-to-back events in Connecticut this week, and the second half will give out the vacant bantamweight title.

Bellator 246 takes place Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (24-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) for the vacant 135-pound title. Mix is a -175 favorite, and our 14 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts have him with a big lead at 10-4.

In the co-main event, former WSOF welterweight champion [autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag] (32-7-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) meets [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA). Gracie is just a slight favorite at -125, but he’s a near-unanimous pick among our staff members with just one person picking Fitch.

Also on the main card, former UFC title challenger [autotag]Liz Carmouche[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) meets [autotag]DeAnna Bennett[/autotag] (10-6-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a women’s flyweight bout. Both women are making their promotional debuts. Carmouche is the biggest favorite on the card at -550, and she’s got a 12-2 lead in the picks.

And to open the main card, [autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Keoni Diggs[/autotag] (8-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) at lightweight. And though Diggs is favored in the fight, Campos has a 12-2 picks lead.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Archuleta (57 percent), Gracie (59 percent), Carmouche (86 percent) and Diggs (51 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Neiman Gracie predicting grappling war with Jon Fitch at Bellator 246

It’s been more than a year since Neiman Gracie suffered his first professional loss, and he is anxious to show his improvement.

It’s been more than a year since [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] suffered his first professional loss, but the Brazilian submission ace is anxious to show his improvement.

“Thankfully, I managed to have an excellent preparation for this fight,” Gracie told MMA Junkie. “I managed to do my entire camp at master Renzo Gracie’s gym in New York City. Despite the pandemic, I found some training partners and managed to prepare very well. I got ready under Jamie Crowder, John Danaher and Renzo Gracie.”

Gracie (9-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) takes on [autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag] (32-7-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) at Bellator 246 on Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Gracie returns to action for the first time since suffering a five-round decision loss to Rory MacDonald in the semifinal of Bellator’s welterweight grand prix in June 2019. While he certainly would have preferred a victory, Gracie said he did benefit from the contest.

“It was an excellent fight,” Gracie said. “But I think I allowed him to stall from the top position for far too long. I should have tried to get up and continue fighting on the feet. But it was a great learning experience – a great fight against a great champion.”

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Gracie was originally schedule to return in December, but injury forced him to withdraw from a planned Bellator 236 bout with Kiichi Kunimoto in Hawaii.

“Unfortunately, I broke my hand one week before the fight and I had to pull out,” Gracie said. “Thankfully, the hand is already back to 100 percent and I’m ready for my next bout.”

That comes Saturday in the form of Fitch, the 18-year pro who is still competing at a high level even at age 42, unbeaten since 2014. It’s an opportunity for Gracie to test himself against another grizzled veteran, and it brings the classic matchup of wrestling vs. jiu-jitsu. Gracie believes that means true excitement awaits.

“I think he’s a very tough guy and a sports legend, and even though he is older, I believe he is in a great moment in his career,” Gracie said. “I think it’s going to be a great fight – a war fought mainly through grappling.”

A win would do wonders for Gracie’s career, which had been perfect prior to the blemish. Putting a signature name on his record would again prove he’s deserving of the hype that surrounded him before the setback.

Gracie plans on capitalizing on the moment.

“I would like to thank all the fans for their support and say that I am ready to make have a great fight and put on another great show,” Gracie said.

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Davis-Machida 2, Archuleta-Mix title fight lead back-to-back Bellator shows Sept. 11-12

Bellator is no stranger to putting on back-to-back shows in Connecticut. Now the promotion will go down that road again next month.

Bellator is no stranger to putting on back-to-back shows in Connecticut. Now the promotion will go down that road again next month.

Bellator 245 and Bellator 246 are slated for consecutive nights Sept. 11-12 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. A person with knowledge of the events confirmed the news to MMA Junkie on Wednesday following an initial report from ESPN.

The Bellator 245 headliner will be a rematch between former Bellator light heavyweight champion [autotag]Phil Davis[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) and former UFC champ [autotag]Lyoto Machida[/autotag] (26-9 MMA, 2-1 BMMA). In addition, former UFC title challenger [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will make her promotional debut against [autotag]Gabrielle Holloway[/autotag] (6-5 MMA, 1-2 BMMA).

At Bellator 246, the vacant bantamweight title will be on the line between [autotag]Juan Archuleta[/autotag] (24-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (13-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA). Plus, [autotag]Jon Fitch[/autotag] (32-7-2 MMA, 1-1-1 BMMA) is set to take on [autotag]Neiman Gracie[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) at welterweight.

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Davis and Machida fought at UFC 163 a little more than seven years ago in Brazil, where Davis won a mildly controversial unanimous decision. Although all three judges scored the fight for him 29-28, none of the media members tracked by MMADecisions.com scored the fight for Davis.

Davis won Bellator’s light heavyweight title in 2016, but lost it in his first defense to current dual champion Ryan Bader. Since that setback, he’s gone 4-1, including back-to-back wins over former champ Liam McGeary and Karl Albrektsson in 2019. His lone loss in that stretch was a split call to Vadim Nemkov, who on Friday challenges Bader for the light heavyweight belt.

Machida will be looking to rebound from a split decision loss to Gegard Mousasi in September 2019. Prior to that, he had four straight wins, including his first two in Bellator after coming over from the UFC in 2018 as a free agent. He took a split call from Rafael Carvalho in his promotional debut and stopped Chael Sonnen with a second-round TKO before his loss to Mousasi.

Archuleta was cruising through the Bellator ranks and had fought at both featherweight and bantamweight. He earned a title shot against 145-pound champ Patricio Freire in September 2019, but lost a unanimous decision for his first setback in the promotion. In January, he bounced back with a win over Henry Corrales at featherweight, but now he’ll drop back down to 135 pounds to go after a belt.

Mix stayed unbeaten this past December in a crossover fight at Rizin 20 when he submitted Yuki Motoya in the first round on New Year’s Eve. Earlier in the year, he picked up first-round submission wins in his first two Bellator bouts against Ricky Bandejas an Isaiah Chapman. He has nine of his first 13 career wins by submission.

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