With a choice on the UFC antitrust lawsuit settlement looming Tuesday, one other group of 52 fighters submitted statements in hopes of convincing the courts to approve the $375 million payout.
Choose Richard Boulware in Nevada is predicted to problem a ruling quickly on the preliminary settlement settlement that was submitted to settle the primary UFC antitrust lawsuit that was filed all the way in which again in 2014. The last decade-long case lined fighters who competed within the UFC from 2010 to 2017.
A second lawsuit overlaying fighters from 2017 to current continues to be working in the direction of a possible trial date, though it’s doable a separate settlement could possibly be reached earlier than that occurs.
The most recent spherical of assist for the settlement together with various former UFC champions together with lately retired strawweight Carla Esparza in addition to former bantamweight king Renan Barao.
Maybe essentially the most in-depth response got here from retired strawweight competitor Felice Herrig, who fought 5 occasions throughout the class interval represented by the primary UFC antitrust lawsuit. In her assertion, Herrig detailed each bodily and monetary hardships that she’s suffered by means of throughout and after her time spent competing within the UFC.
“Combating for the UFC was the achievement of what I believed was my dream, however the actuality is after a prolonged profession I left with a worn-down physique, extreme despair, and nothing to indicate for my years competing on the high of the game,” Herrig wrote. “I nonetheless battle despair to today and am offended that I noticed so little reward for what I offered to the UFC.
“All through most of my UFC struggle profession, I used to be going into debt and borrowing cash from household to fund struggle camps after which paying off this debt with my purses. Because of this debt, I and different friends ceaselessly take fights whereas injured to repay the debt from coaching camp that was already incurred. At different occasions, fighters are pressured to take fights on quick discover or in opposition to last-minute substitute opponents who they haven’t ready for and face the dilemma of taking a dangerous struggle for little reward or enduring by means of a prolonged interval on the shelf with no struggle provided, your contract prolonged and no earnings.”
Herrig detailed her struggles with weight reducing and various accidents she suffered, which continued to plague her in retirement.
“All through my profession, my perfect weight to compete at was 125 kilos, however with weight divisions within the UFC at 10-pound increments, this might have left me with the selection of combating undersized at my pure weight or enduring grueling weight cuts to get all the way down to 115 kilos for weigh-ins,” Herrig stated. “In a single occasion, I used to be requested to do 12 hours of media obligations the day earlier than weigh-ins whereas reducing weight. I used to be exhausted, ravenous, and skilled an adrenaline dump quickly after my struggle began that left me unable to maneuver. I now imagine that fighters promote the UFC and never vice versa—fighters are interchangeable, disposable and expendable when MMA is just not operated as a sport.
“Whereas combating for the UFC and through my MMA profession, I suffered many vital accidents together with a torn ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus on my proper knee. After nearly a yr and with my insurance coverage protection working out for the preliminary prevalence, my knee was not absolutely healed, however I took a struggle anyway, and found I wanted extra surgical procedure on my meniscus. This knee continues to provide me issues to today and would require ongoing upkeep and bodily remedy for the remainder of my life.”
One-time UFC title challenger Jessica Eye, who retired from competitors in 2022, detailed the struggles she’s confronted since leaving the game. Specifically, Eye says the bodily toll combating took on her mind and physique have made it that a lot harder to maneuver ahead with a brand new profession the place she’s now not getting punched within the face for a residing.
“Whereas combating for the UFC, I suffered many vital accidents together with to my left elbow which required Tommy John surgical procedure, removing of my gall bladder which turned infected throughout struggle camp, kidney failure and sepsis following a grueling weight reduce that precipitated everlasting harm, and a laceration to my brow that required 20 stitches to shut,” Eye wrote. “Throughout my profession I additionally suffered dozens of concussions. I concern that in my profession I’ve suffered traumatic mind harm (TBI) and am noticing signs widespread with TBI and CTE together with anxiousness, despair, irritability, sensitivity to gentle, complications and reminiscence loss.
“I used to be hospitalized for 32 days receiving therapy for PTSD and TBI. So far, no therapy for CTE has been discovered. I’ve fainted on two totally different events, together with whereas using my motorbike and TBI is the suspected trigger of those episodes. I used to be extraordinarily depressed following my retirement from the UFC, and I’ve struggled to acclimate to my post-career life. I’ve been unable to keep up enough focus to finish education and have had problem writing even easy paragraphs. I face severe challenges in assembly primary on a regular basis bills for meals, shelter, and transportation and in paying for medical health insurance and the medical therapy I would like now.”
Eye additionally said that “endured grueling weight cuts” on a number of events that she fears “precipitated everlasting harm to my physique.”
Gina Mazany, who additionally final fought within the UFC in 2022, claims that her physique suffered a lot from excessive weight cuts that she’s undecided she’ll ever be capable to have kids in consequence.
“[I] endured grueling weight cuts, reducing from 163 kilos to 136 kilos for a struggle provided on 16 days’ discover that I concern has precipitated everlasting harm to my physique,” Mazany wrote. “My menstrual cycle didn’t return till six months after this weight reduce and has by no means returned to regular. I concern that I’m unable to have kids.”
Along with her weight-cutting issues, Mazany additionally claimed {that a} surgical procedure she wanted whereas she was nonetheless lively throughout her UFC profession was denied after he last struggle with the promotion.
“Whereas combating for the UFC, I suffered a damaged nostril and crushed septum that makes me unable to breath out of the fitting facet of my nostril,” Mazany defined. “After this struggle, I used to be suggested to attend to have surgical procedure to restore my septum till I used to be completed combating. After my final struggle within the UFC, I requested surgical procedure to restore my septum and the UFC denied protection, stating that I didn’t break my nostril throughout my last struggle.
“I’ve been unable to afford the surgical procedure to restore my septum, and it stays crushed to today.”
Joe Riggs, who spent a number of stints with the UFC after his debut in 2004, additionally revealed an extended listing of accidents and surgical procedures he’s handled all through his profession.
“Whereas combating for the UFC and through my MMA profession, I suffered many vital accidents and had 23 surgical procedures together with three nasal surgical procedures, fractures to each orbital bones, three retina detachments in my left eye, shoulder surgical procedure, six surgical procedures on my left hand together with the insertion of 4 screws, elbow surgical procedure, arm surgical procedure on a compound fracture on my proper arm that led to the insertion of a plate, and a number of concussions,” Riggs stated.
“I concern that in my profession I’ve suffered traumatic mind harm (TBI) and am noticing signs widespread with TBI and CTE together with anxiousness, despair, insomnia, irritability, fast to anger and reminiscence loss.”
Alexander Yakovlev, who competed within the UFC between 2014 and 2020, additionally revealed long run well being issues he’s confronted with nearly all of his points coming from grueling weight cuts.
“Throughout my profession, I’ve had about 10 concussions. However a lot of the harm to my well being was as a consequence of weight reducing,” Yakovlev stated. “In 2015, whereas making ready for the struggle with Grey Maynard, I had a really tough weight reduce. After which I suffered nice hurt to my well being. I developed issues with the cardiovascular system and a disruption within the functioning of the nervous system. The transmission of nerve impulses worsened. The functioning of the lymphatic and venous programs worsened. This negatively affected the functioning of many programs and organs of the physique. My reminiscence worsened, I turned emotionally unstable, edema appeared, my sleep worsened, and I periodically had issues with my coronary heart.
“After this weight reduce, I by no means returned to my earlier degree of well being, and my profession went downhill. I’m nonetheless fighting the results of that weight reduce.”
Many different fighters revealed comparable points when it got here to fighting funds as we as bodily issues that persist lengthy after they’re doing competing.
The attorneys representing the fighters have now submitted greater than 150 testimonials from athletes previous and current in hopes of swaying the decide to approve the settlement. Within the preliminary paperwork filed with the preliminary settlement settlement, the plaintiffs said that the fighters concerned within the $375 million settlement “would get well (on common), in any case charges and prices are deducted, $250,000.”
