UFC Pays $10m to MMA Legend Following Lawsuit

An MMA legend has received a whopping $10 million payout from the UFC's antitrust settlement.

In 2024, the UFC settled a decade-long lawsuit after a group of fighters filed an antitrust claim, alleging the promotion underpaid fighters between 2010 and 2017.

The UFC agreed to pay $231 million to former fighters, who competed in the famed Octagon during that period.

The lawsuit claimed that the UFC suppressed athletes' ability to negotiate other promotional options and estimate 1,100 fighters were affected.

Compensation payments range from $16,000 to more than $10 million from the UFC's antitrust lawsuit settlement.

And, according to John S. Nash, the recipient of the maximum competition is UFC legend Anderson Silva, who reigned as the promotion's middleweight champion between 2006 and 2013.

Anderson Silva is the highest-earning recipient from the UFC antitrust lawsuit settlement. Image: Getty

During the class period, Silva made 12 UFC appearances, including seven title bouts.

He beat Demian Maia, Chael Sonnen (x2), Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami in UFC middleweight title defences.

'The Spider', however, surrendered his UFC championship to Chris Weidman and lost the immediate rematch.

The Brazilian also had five non-title, marque bouts against Stephan Bonnar, Nick Diaz, Michael Bisping, Daniel Cormier and Derek Brunson.

Anderson Silva beat Vitor Belfort with a front-kick KO. Image: Getty

Per the terms of the settlement, eligible fighters should see 37.2 per cent of their total bout compensation earned during the class period of them, plus $14,179.33 per fight.

Silva was arguably the biggest name and most high-profile star during the class period, having shot to fame following his come-from-behind submission victory over Sonnen and front-kick KO of Belfort.

His rematch against Sonnen at UFC 148, which he won, garnered almost 1 million pay-per-view buys, while his second fight against Weidman generated over 1 million PPV buys.

Silva walked away from the UFC after three consecutive defeats to Israel Adesanya, Jared Cannonier and Uriah Hall.

He resumed his professional boxing career after departing the UFC, beating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Tito Ortiz, setting up a clash against Jake Paul, who scored a points victory in their 2022 showdown.