UFC in 2024
Class action: anti-trust lawsuits
On August 9, 2023, U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware granted class action status to more than 1,200 former UFC fighters who competed between December 2010 and June 2017 and are suing for $800 million upward to $1.6 billion in wages, as the lawsuit claims Zuffa had abused its power to suppress UFC fighters' wages. The anti-trust law also permits private plaintiffs to be able to recover three times the damages suffered, meaning the UFC may ultimately pay several billions of dollars worth of damages. [1] The case has a scheduled April 8, 2024 trial date. [2] On March 20, 2024, TKO, UFC parent company reached an agreement to settle all claims in the class action lawsuits for $335 million where the settlement amount will be deductible for tax purposes. [3] However, on July 31, 2024, Judge Richard Boulware ruled that the case would be heard by a jury and denied the preliminary approval for a settlement and reset for trial of in October. [4] [5] On October 21, 2024, Judge Richard Boulware of Nevada granted preliminary approval for a $375 million settlement in the "Le vs. Zuffa" antitrust lawsuit for monopolistic practices. As part of the settlement, around $240 million to $260 million will be distributed to eligible fighters, specifically those who competed in at least one UFC bout from December 2010 to June 2017. These payments are expected to be made over the next year. Additionally, $40 million from the settlement will be set aside for administrative and legal expenses. The preliminary approval pertains solely to the "Le vs. Zuffa" case. A second, related antitrust lawsuit, "Johnson vs. Zuffa", which covers fighters who competed in the UFC from 2017 to the present, remains unresolved and continues to proceed separately. [6] [7]
Drug Free Sport International partnership
UFC announced a new partnership with Drug Free Sport International, begin in January 2024, the same company that oversees the anti-doping programs of the NCAA, MLB, NFL, and NBA. The administration of the UFC Anti-Doping Program, including sanctioning decisions, will be handled exclusively and independently by Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD), where the former FBI agent George Piro would serve as the independent administrator of the UFC's anti-doping program. [8]
Vince McMahon resigned over sex trafficking and sexual assault lawsuit
On September 12, 2023, Endeavor merged with professional wrestling promotion WWE to form a new publicly traded company under the stock symbol "TKO". [9] TKO executive chairman Vince McMahon resigned on January 26, 2024 after Janel Grant, a former WWE employee, filed a lawsuit against McMahon for sex trafficking and sexual assault. [10]
Acquired by Silver Lake private equity
On April 2, 2024, it was announced by TKO that Endeavor was privately taken 100% by its largest investor, Silver Lake, three years after Endeavor three-year run as a public company where Endeavor purchased the UFC for just over $4 billion in 2016. [12] [13]
New glove from June 2024 - November 2024
On April 12, 2024, UFC announced a new glove where changes were made to reduce hand injuries and eye pokes (every 14 fights with an average delay of 50 seconds), while maintaining dexterity and not affecting performance. The new gloves were already tested during the ten weeks of the Dana White's Contender Series 2023 and gloves were used starting in June 2024. New features of the gloves include: (1) a wristband locking system to prevent grabbing of the gloves; (2) all seams are now on the palm side with a lack of seams on top of the hands to minimize abrasions and cuts; (3) removal of finger binding that allows the hand to close maturely to reduce eyes pokes, abrasions, and cuts; (4) padding to the sides of the index and pinky finger of the glove to protect bone; (5) ergonomic curved wristband for better fit around the wrist scooped or angled finger holes to eliminate bunching on the inside of the fisted hand lining; (6) and thicker foam padding for maximum flexibility and protection with an updated law profile hook and loop that minimizes snag and reduces weight; they have an authentication and data chip which allows the UFC to identify a pair of gloves to a fighter in a specific fight. [14] [15]
The gloves come in XXXS to XXXXL sizes with weight lighter by 1 to 1.5 ounces compared to the previous gloves; the new glove weighs between 3 and 4.9 oz. [16] New gloves include five different glove colors: gun-metal gloves will be used for traditional UFC fights; gold gloves with an octagon trim for championship fights and main event bouts; black gloves for “The Ultimate Fighter”; blue gloves for Dana White's Contender Series; and red gloves for Road to the UFC tournaments. [17] [18]
The debut of the new gloves took place at UFC 302 on June 1, 2024, at the Prudential Center in Newark. [17]
On November 12, it was reported that the UFC had notified fighters competing in upcoming events, starting from UFC 309, that the organization will reintroduce its previous glove design, which had been replaced at UFC 302 in June. UFC President Dana White cited frequent complaints from fighters as being the reason for the change, even though the new design had only been in use for six months. [19]
New MMA rules
Two new Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts rules were approved by the Association of Boxing Commissions in July 2024. [20]
(1) Kneeing and/or Kicking the head of a grounded opponent: A fighter shall be considered grounded and may not be legally kneed or kicked to the head when any part of their body other than their hands or feet is in contact with the canvas (ground). (2) Removal of the downward pointing elbow strike (12 to 6) as a foul. The rules were voted in during the Annual ABC Conference in July with a start date of November1, 2024.
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Albazi on November 2, 2024, at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada will be the first event the rules to be implemented. [21]
TKO Group Holdings acquire new assets from Endeavor
On October 23, 2024, TKO Group Holdings (the combined company with UFC and WWE) acquired the event planning and hospitality service On Location as well as IMG (a sports and media agency, producer and distributor previously housed at Endeavor) from Endeavor in $3.25 billion deal. Under the terms of the deal, Endeavor “will receive approximately 26.14 million common” shares of TKO stock and “will subscribe for an equal number of shares of TKO's Class B common stock.”Once the deal closes, Endeavor will own 59-percent of TKO with remaining shareholders controlling the other 41-percent of TKO stock. [22]
Cannabis removed from prohibited list
UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates is the first UFC event held in Nevada since cannabis was officially removed from the state's list of banned substances. At the beginning of 2024, the Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) and Drug Free Sport organizations removed cannabis from their banned substances list when the UFC shifted its anti-doping testing from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to CSAD. On October 30, 2024, the Nevada State Athletic Commission also announced its decision to remove cannabis from the state's list of prohibited substances. They stated, “The possession, use, or consumption of cannabis or cannabis products will not be considered an anti-doping violation.”. [23]
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