The UFC anti-trust lawsuit that has been widely speculated over the past few days became a reality on Tuesday when a legal team representing plaintiffs Cung Le , Jon Fitch , and Nate Quarry filed the suit in the United States District Court, Northern District of California, in San Jose, Calif. The suit alleges that the “ UFC has engaged in an illegal scheme to eliminate competition from would-be rival MMA Promoters by systematically preventing them from gaining access to resources critical to successful MMA Promotions, including by imposing extreme restrictions on UFC Fighters’ ability to fight for would-be rivals during and after their tenure with the UFC. As part of the scheme, the UFC not only controls Fighters’ careers, but also takes and expropriates the rights to their names and likenesses in perpetuity. As a result of this scheme, UFC Fighters are paid a fraction of what they would earn in a competitive marketplace.” In a press conference announcing the suit on Tuesday, lawyers from several firms noted for anti-trust issues were in attendance in San Jose alongside Le and Quarry, who were there in person; Fitch, who was on the phone for the conference; and former UFC champion Carlos Newton, who was also in attendance lending his support, although he is not currently named as a plaintiff in the suit. SEE ALSO: Fighters Take to Twitter to React to UFC-Reebok Uniform Deal The firms representing the fighters include the Joseph Saveri Law Firm; Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll, PLLC; and Berger & Montague, P.C. The fighters and their attorneys are essentially alleging that the UFC has conducted its business and structured contracts in a manner that has shut down any competitive market.
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Cung Le, Jon Fitch and Nate Quarry Spearhead Lawsuit Claiming UFC Killed Competition – MMA Weekly