Phil Davis, the former UFC light heavyweight contender and longtime Bellator staple, has taken a bold legal step in the ongoing battle between fighters and MMA’s most powerful promotion.
On Thursday, Davis filed a fresh antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Nevada against the UFC, its parent company Zuffa LLC, TKO Group Holdings, and Endeavor Group Holdings. The lawsuit accuses the UFC of suppressing market competition by locking fighters into restrictive contracts, making it nearly impossible for other promotions like PFL to sign top-tier talent and build viable alternatives at the sport’s highest level.
The legal team behind the suit — Berger Montague — previously secured a $375 million settlement in a similar class-action case that targeted the UFC's business practices between 2010 and 2017. Davis’ new case widens the scope, claiming that even fighters outside of the UFC are negatively affected by the organization’s alleged monopoly tactics.
“We intend to prove the UFC engaged in a predatory scheme to maintain its dominance,” said attorney Eric Cramer. “That hurts fighters across the entire MMA ecosystem — not just in the UFC.”
Among the remedies sought is a contractual reform that would allow fighters to exit promotional deals without penalty after one year — a sharp break from the multi-fight, open-ended timelines fighters are typically bound to today.
Davis, who last fought under Bellator before the roster’s absorption into the PFL, says he’s taking a stand for all MMA athletes: “It’s time to unlock the UFC’s stranglehold on this sport.”
The UFC has yet to release a public statement in response to the filing.
