UFC Class Action Lawsuit: who are the fighters involved and why are they angry with the UFC?
It might not be getting much coverage from the media, but right now, the UFC is embroiled in a class-action lawsuit filed by several disgruntled former fighters.
The UFC is currently battling against this class action lawsuit, which is hoping to force the promotion to pay out millions – but who are the fighters behind it, and why are they taking the UFC to court?
Essentially, the lawsuit is all about fighter pay and the fact that these fighters believe that the UFC has behaved in a non-competitive way to keep wages as low as possible.
The truth of that can only be decided by the courts, but for now, here is a look at the six fighters initially involved in the lawsuit and what might’ve inspired them to file it.
#1 Cung Le (UFC record: 2-2)
Former StrikeForce middleweight champion Cung Le probably has more reason to be angry with the UFC than any of the other fighters involved in the class action lawsuit.
Le rose to fame with StrikeForce before their buyout at the hands of Zuffa, coming into the world of MMA with a big reputation built in sanshou and kickboxing.
Almost exclusively fighting smaller opponents in his early years, Le was decried by many fans as a “can crusher” but somewhat proved his worth with wins over Frank Shamrock and Scott Smith.
When the UFC brought StrikeForce’s fighters over to the octagon, Le was a surprise arrival in late 2012, fighting Wanderlei Silva at UFC 139 in a thrilling bout.
He then defeated Patrick Cote and Rich Franklin and coached in the inaugural season of TUF China before losing to Michael Bisping in 2014.
It was the Bisping fight that caused Le and the UFC to clash. Following the fight, Le reportedly tested positive for elevated HGH levels and was suspended from competition for a year.
However, Le disputed the test and appeared to have a point. According to reports, the testing laboratory used didn’t use an appropriate HGH test, wasn’t WADA-approved, and also destroyed the blood sample before further tests could be done.
The controversy caused Le to demand his release from the UFC, and just months later, his involvement in the class-action lawsuit was revealed.