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Tag: UFC Lawsuit

  • Concerning Health Update On Former UFC Champ Shane Carwin

    Concerning Health Update On Former UFC Champ Shane Carwin

    Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Shane Carwin became the topic of a lot of conversation online following the latest update in the UFC lawsuit.

    Le vs Zuffa received lots of declarations from former UFC fighters that are named in the case and Carwin’s was by far the most shocking as he detailed why he needs the settlement money urgently due to his health and financial concerns.

    Brendan Schaub, who came up alongside Carwin as his main training partner, gave an incredibly emotional reaction to this on a recent episode of his podcast. Schaub spoke from an intensely personal point of view about the struggles that he knows the former fighter has gone through.

    “Because of the way that we trained, because we were meat heads, we didn’t know, even the coaches. We’d spar twice a week, sometimes three times a week, like all out wars and because of that, Shane, you know, he can’t even… he can’t even keep a job dude. Yeah, he went from being an engineer to he can’t be a bouncer at a f****** bar.”

    Schaub did say that the UFC attempted to help Carwin in the past after his health concerns were revealed to the likes of Dana White. The 49-year old retired from MMA back in 2013 due to several substantial injuries that prevented him from ever returning despite several attempts.

    “There’s nothing we can do, we tried to get him help. The UFC did fly him down to the Apex and they tried to do stuff. To Dana’s credit, as soon as Dana found out he, that’s who I call. I went through my contacts, I tried to get Shane some help and as soon as Dana heard that Shane was having some issues, he flew Shane down there.”

    Schaub got emotional when he spoke about how this money could benefit Carwin and how this should have never happened to such a brilliant mind in the first place.

    “There’s not enough money in the world if you ask Shane Carwin if he could do it again. If you gave him a billion dollars, Shane’s really bad.”

    Carwin’s fellow former heavyweight reflected about how his old training partner used to pay for his sessions when he couldn’t afford them. He told other emotional stories about how they would spar so intensely with one another that they’d joke on the car ride home that they couldn’t remember how to get back.

    His close personal connection to the ex-fighter in question made this a very difficult conversation for Schaub to approach.

    “Shane’s one of many, it just so happens that Shane’s story is f****** heart breaking. He wasn’t a dumba**, he’s not a meat head like me. I know he looks like it and you guys want to assume Shane’s this big dumb animal, he’s f****** not dude. When Shane was young before all this, he could’ve sat on JRE and ran circles around any guest that Rogan has had in that room… it just so happened he’s in this 6’3′, 280 pound shredded body… and you guys want to assume he’s a meat head and right him off? I get all that but I’m telling you you’re wrong. Now he can’t afford food and his kids.”

  • Former Champion Pushes For UFC Lawsuit Settlement, Cites Urgent Need for Financial & Medical Aid

    Former Champion Pushes For UFC Lawsuit Settlement, Cites Urgent Need for Financial & Medical Aid

    In the latest update of the ongoing Le vs Zuffa lawsuit, there have been declarations written by many of the former UFC fighters that are involved in the case.

    The declarations talk about how they have been affected and whether they’re for or against the proposed settlement fee of $375 million over the case continuing and why.

    There could be more money in a settlement if the lawsuit continues but that comes with the risk of it not being reached at all.

    In the declarations posted by John S. Nash, a former UFC champion is passionately against the idea of the lawsuit continuing due to serious concerns.

    Shane Carwin Issues Worrying Reasoning Behind His Need For The UFC Settlement To Be Approved

    Shane Carwin fought just six times inside the Octagon and retired early on in his career due to several serious injuries.

    He is the former interim heavyweight champion, stopping Frank Mir before going on to face Brock Lesnar at UFC 116.

    Carwin notes in his declaration that the proposed settlement of $375 million is an “excellent result”, stating that he fought once under the UFC banner in the specific timeframe.

    His reasoning for wanting this settlement to be agreed upon is due to several key issues in his life that could be solved by this payment that he would recieve.

    The following statements from Carwin himself are disappointing and upsetting to read for long time fans who remember him at his peak.

    “While fighting for the UFC, I suffered many significant injuries, including concussions. I fear that during my career I have suffered traumatic brain injury (TBI) and am noticing symptoms common with TBI and CTE including addiction, depression, mood swings, and irritability.”

    Carwin goes on to say that he has had tests done at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and Concussion Legacy Foundation at Boston University among others that point to damage to his pre-frontal cortex and left hemisphere.

    He also points out several other health issues including paranoia, fear and anxiety which has been so severe that he was bed bound.

    On top of his health conditions, he says that his time as a fighter has also impacted his ability to work outside of the sport so that he can support himself.

    “Despite having a degree in engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, I have been unable to maintain adequate focus to hold down an engineering job. I face serious challenges in meeting basic everyday expenses for food, shelter, and transportation and in basic life skills necessary to function.”

    Carwin is saying all of this because he doesn’t want the lawsuit to continue if there’s a feeling that the settlement payment could increase.

    He makes it very clear that this result would be a great one and that he cannot afford to wait for this income if the case continues rather than the settlement being agreed upon.

    “This would truly be life-changing money for me and for other members of the class. These funds would also allow me to obtain the healthcare I need and keep a roof over my head and food on my table. The sad reality is that finds years from now may be of no use to me. I desperately need these funds now.”

    One of Carwin’s final statement clarifies his stance once again.

    “For me, a significant recovery in the near future is much more appealing than the possibility of a large recovery several years from now, especially in light of the possibility that there would be no recovery at all if this settlement were not approved. In my situation, a bird in the hand truly does beat two (or three, or even nine) in the bush.”

    Read also: Leon Edwards’ Brother On Loss To Belal Muhammad: ‘Always Had Unfair Situations Given To Him!’

  • Judge Sets Trial Date For UFC Antitrust Lawsuit After Rejecting Settlement

    *UPDATE: On Monday, August 20, Judge Richard Boulware set a trial date on February 3, 2025, for the UFC antitrust lawsuit filed against the promotion by fighters such as Cung Le and Nate Quarry. The date won’t be adjusted unless the judge approves a new preliminary settlement.

    Original article published on July 31, 2024.

    After being placed on hold earlier this month, the settlement given out by TKO Holdings Group, the parent company of the UFC, in a pair of class-action lawsuits against the MMA promotion have now been rejected by the judge, resulting in the scheduling of a jury trial.

    Josh Gross, who has covered MMA since 2000 for a number of outlets, including ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and The Athletic, was present in the courtroom when Judge Richard F. Boulware, district judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, came down with his decision not to grant preliminary approval for the settlement on July 12.

    “Judge Boulware did not grant preliminary approval for the UFC class-action antitrust settlement today. I was in the courtroom this afternoon. Boulware expressed several areas of concern and it sure seemed to me that he’s leaning toward denying the deal and moving to a jury trial.”

    Though it’s rare to hear about in settlements like this one, Gross mentioned that Judge Boulware was leaning toward a complete shutdown of the agreed-upon settlement, potentially bringing the UFC antitrust case to a jury trial after all.

    That came to fruition on Tuesday night, with the judge officially rejecting the settlement and ordering the Le suit back to trial on October 28, 2024. A status conference will comes beforehand on August 19.

    Jury Trial Expected For UFC Antitrust Lawsuit After Judge Does Not Approve $335 Million Settlement

    In March, TKO agreed to a $335 million payout to settle a pair of antitrust lawsuits, representing more than 1,200 fighters, brought against the UFC. One, [Cung] Le et al. vs. Zuffa, centered around fighters who competed in the UFC between Dec. 16, 2010, and June 30, 2017. The other, [Kajan] Johnson et al. vs. Zuffa, represented fighters competing from July 1, 2017, through 2021.

    The plaintiffs had initially sought approximately $1.6 billion in damages.

    In his thread, Gross outlined the issues Judge Boulware had with the settlement. One of these is the gap between the amount agreed upon in the settlement and what the fighters had initially sought. Gross noted that “Boulware addressed the amount of money awarded to fighters in the settlement and how it is being distributed, especially compared to what fighters could win at trial with treble damages.”

    Additionally, Judge Boulware has taken issue with the settlement when looking at the attentions of the different lawsuits. The Le fighters are more focused on their settlement, while the Johnson fighters on injunctive relief (in other words, as Gross notes, changes in contracts and protections that would allow more freedoms for fighters).

    While Boulware acknowledged a lack of wrongdoing on behalf of the legal counsel representing the fighters, he did note that the current settlement does little for those fighters represented in the Johnson class-action suit.

    Paul Gift of Forbes noted last month that Judge Boulware had “serious concerns” about the settlement. He also noted that the plaintiffs claimed the UFC would only settle both class-action cases simultaneously.

    Legal expert Michael McCann of Sportico has suggested the UFC and attorneys for the Le case could strike a separate deal, while the Johnson case — which is in a much earlier phase of litigation — remains in court.

    The UFC released a statement on Wednesday, expressing disappointment and disagreement with the judge’s ruling.

  • Dana White Suggests Judge’s Rejection Of UFC Antitrust Settlement Could Be Personal: ‘Me & Lorenzo Went To High School With Him!’

    Dana White Suggests Judge’s Rejection Of UFC Antitrust Settlement Could Be Personal: ‘Me & Lorenzo Went To High School With Him!’

    In the eyes of UFC CEO Dana White, the rejection of the settlement in the UFC’s antitrust, class-action lawsuits was more than just business — it was personal.

    White recently sat down for an interview with Kevin Iole. During it, he made his first public comments about the class-action lawsuits since Judge Richard Boulware formally rejected the $335 settlement from the UFC’s parent company, TKO Holdings Group.

    White feels that Boulware’s actions went beyond legalities and may have been based on a personal grudge, with White — who says he usually lets the UFC’s legal team deal with matters involving things like this — claiming that he and Lorenzo Fertitta, former UFC CEO, went to high school with Boulware.

    “It’s getting to a point now where this feels personal. You know I went to high school with this guy? Me and Lorenzo went to high school with him. I don’t know what me or Lorenzo did to him in high school, but this seems very, very personal.

    “I don’t think I did anything to this guy. I don’t know what the hell happened, but there’s no doubt in my mind that this feels absolutely personal. And whatever it is with this guy, we’ll let the lawyers deal with it, and it is what it is.”

    Dana White Claims Judge’s Rejection Of UFC Antitrust Lawsuit Settlement Stems From ‘Personal’ High School Grudge

    In March, TKO agreed to the $335 million payout to settle a pair of class-action lawsuits brought against the UFC, [Cung] Le et al. vs. Zuffa and [Kajan] Johnson et al. vs. Zuffa. The plaintiffs were seeking $1.6 billion in damages and contractual changes to UFC contracts.

    Boulware, in previous weeks, had express concern about the settlement for various reasons. Firstly, the amount obtained in the settlement greatly differed from what the plaintiffs were originally seeking, creating concern over how much each fighter would actually receive from this.

    Secondly, each class-action lawsuit had a different focus, with the Le case centered around money and the Johnson case focused on contractual changes. Boulware expressed worry that this settlement did little to nothing for fighters represented in the Johnson case.

    A jury trial is currently scheduled to begin on October 28 for Le vs. Zuffa. Johnson vs. Zuffa, meanwhile, is still in a very early portion of the legal process.