Josh Barnett became the first UFC athlete under the UFC Anti-Doping Program to not receive a suspension of time from fighting after taking his case of a failed drug test to arbitration. Still, not trusting the drug testing process, Barnett requested his release from the company. Barnett tested positive for a banned substance as a […]
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MMA Payout Year in Review: No. 7 – DAZN enters sports streaming market
This past June, Bellator MMA announced a deal with sport streaming service DAZN. The late September 2018 launch in the U.S. of the $9.99 per month service was another challenge on the traditional way we watch sports. Perhaps bigger than the Bellator deal, and securing another deal with Combates America, it signed Canelo Alvarez to […]
MMA Payout Year in Review: No. 8 – Golden Boy promotes first MMA event
Golden Boy Boxing made its debut promoting mixed martial arts this past November with a card in Inglewood, California. The event was headlined by Tito Ortiz taking on Chuck Liddell. The event was centered around the main event which was a farce to begin with as it was clear that Liddell was in no shape […]
MMA Payout Year in Review: No. 9 – NLRB denies Leslie Smith claims against Zuffa
The 9th MMA Payout Story of the year is Leslie Smith’s Charging Letter to the National Labor Relations Board in which she claimed that she was discharged by the UFC for her attempt to organize fighters via Project Spearhead. Smith, a women’s bantamweight, was known for her work with the Professional Fighters Association and then […]
MMA Payout Year in Review: No. 10 – The UFC Antitrust Lawsuit rolls on
MMA Payout is doing its annual review of top business stories for the year. The first story we take a look at is the ongoing Antitrust lawsuit which had several key developments this year. First, Judge Boulware denied Zuffa’s Motion for Summary Judgment on Friday, December 14th. It did not decide on class certification on […]