In a surprising turn of events, a federal judge has rejected a $335 million settlement between Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and over 1,200 fighters who were suing for wage suppression. The decision was made by U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware, who denied the motion for preliminary approval of the deal in a court note issued on Tuesday evening. The settlement was part of an agreement reached by TKO Group, a collaboration between UFC and WWE.
The judge's order stated that the proposed settlement was not approved, and a trial is now scheduled to begin on October 28. This opens up the possibility for the two parties to renegotiate a new settlement that addresses the judge's concerns, particularly regarding the adequacy of the payment offered to the fighters.
