Dana White's $335 million settlement for fighters in antitrust case denied approval by judge

DanaWhite may have a billion dollar business with the UFC but in order to get him there, countless fighters from previous generations are the ones who got him where he is. These fighters are the backbone of what we know today as the Ultimate Fighting Championship. These are not your Conor McGregors or Alex Pereiras, we are talking about the athletes who had a long career or sometimes they didn't, but didn't get properly compensated for their sacrifice to the company. White only pays his fighters in case and from fights, he expects for them to make due with what he gives them and the bnefits are minimal. Amid this unending situation, a large group of current and former UFC athletes got together to enact legal action in this antitrust lawsuit against Dana White and the company.

Las Vegas U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware was the one who dtermined late on Tuesday night, that this settlement would be denied. So, the fighters will have to wait and see what the disagreements are within this settlement. It was the judge himself who made it clear that the $335 million settlement is not adequate despite both parties expressed satisfaction with the result. The suits are two and they known as Johnson v Zuffa and Cung Le v Zuffa, LLC. If both parties don't reach an agreement before October 28, there is a good possibility we will have a chance to witness two of the most important trials in U.S. sports history. Judge Boulware didn't elaborate for his rejection of the settlement and we have no idea when to expect it.

The UFC reacts to judge ruling

Given that the UFC's legal team was happy with this settlement, the reality is that DanaWhite was not happy about it. Currently, there are many dangers that could elevate that settlement to $1 billion, which is why the company is unhappy with this decision. There was a statement where the company confirms they are deeply disappointed with this decision. As such, the statement reads as follows: "We obviously disagree with this ruling and believe it disregards the expertise of counsel from both sides, as well as that of an accomplished and expert mediator - all of whom have decades of experience in antitrust case law. This is an unusual step from Judge Boulware because he is also denying the athletes their right to be heard during this pivotal moment in the case."