Conor McGregor in line to receive huge sum as UFC moves to settle lawsuit over fighter pay (2024)

The details of a proposed settlement between the UFC and its fighters in a long-running legal case over pay have been made public - and it's seemingly great news for the promotion's biggest star, Conor McGregor.

The parent corporation of the UFC, TKO Group Holdings, has agreed to pay $335 million to settle two lawsuits over the matter. Fighters including Cung Le and Nate Quarry filed these claims first in 2014, while Kajan Johnson and C.B. Dollaway joined them later in 2021. The lawsuits accused the UFC of engaging in monopolistic activities that reduced fighter earnings and hampered competition.

Fighter Pay in the UFC Has Been Controversial For Many Years

Competitors have long complained about their earnings

Per AS, the minimum pay for a UFC fighter in 2024 is around $10,000 per bout. That number is considerably lower than most other major sports would pay its athletes in a single week. Going back through history, the minimum pay for a fighter to compete (not including win bonuses and sponsorship payments) would have been even lower.

The lawsuits sought to win compensation for athletes who had competed in the organisation between 2010 and 2017, using the argument that they had been underpaid during that period. The details of the settlement have now been revealed by reporter John Nash to MMA NNYT.

Though a judge must yet approve the deal, all indications lead to fighters getting a $335 million settlement from UFC. The attorneys who have represented fighters in this matter since 2014 are due fees of $120 million, leaving $215 million to be divided among the combatants who meet eligibility requirements.

A minimum payout of $8,000 is assured for each fighter; bigger payouts are given to fighters who have fought more fights and participated on higher-profile shows. Ironically, the man who is set to benefit most from the settlement is, arguably, the fighter who needs the money the least in McGregor. Nash explained:

That's not the end of the windfall for McGregor either as the second lawsuit is likely to see him bank a similar sum again, meaning he will receive around $12m in total compensation. As a rule, fighters included in the case can expect to receive a payment of around 23% of whatever amount they were paid by the UFC in the assessment period.

Nash explained: "An easy way [to calculate] is to combine all your income you made during the period as a fighter, and take 23 percent of that. That should be how much your compensation will be."

How The Case Will Affect UFC Fighter Pay Moving Forward

While the UFC settlement is a moral victory for the fighters concerned, it does mean that there is no legal precedent set as the case wasn't decided by a judge. TKO CEO Ari Emanuel has already stated that there will be 'no major operational shifts' for the UFC, meaning that fighters will still be forced to negotiate hard to secure themselves the best pay deal.

That won't be of much concern to McGregor, who is already the best-paid fighter in UFC history. The 35-year-old is set to rake in a fortune when he faces Michael Chandler later this month. Their UFC 303 main event has already broken company records for the largest gate in history. Neither McGregor or Chandler are likely to have many complaints about the compensation on a huge night for the promotion in Las Vegas.