Huge news struck earlier this month when it was confirmed that a group of former fighters would be suing the UFC for alleged anti-trust violations, with the fighters claiming that the world's largest MMA promotion was in fact a monopoly that bought up and killed off all serious competition, and acted illegally to keep fighter pay down, and limit other potential sources of revenue for fighters. It was the opening salvo in a war that has been brewing for some time, as many fighters - including highly ranked Tim Kennedy and featherweight champion Jose Aldo - have complained about poor pay and treatment from the promotion. While Kennedy and Aldo are some of the larger names, there were many, many smaller ones, a large number of whom wished to remain anonymous, who had similar grievances. Add to that the complaints of former fighters like Ken Shamrock, Tito Ortiz, and Rampage Jackson (who actually isn't a former fighter any longer, but who is instead back with the UFC) - and you have quite a large chunk of your past and present employees against you. When you consider that active fighters don't want to lose their jobs, since the UFC has no union, and therefore most will keep quiet, the percentage of unhappy fighters suddenly seems quite high. After thee originally filed suit, four more have joined in under two separate but identical class actions. Who are all these fighters? Well that's what we're here to cover.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
