Former UFC champion Jake Shields revealed during a recent podcast appearance with current UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad that he expects to receive approximately $500,000 from the UFC antitrust lawsuit settlement.
The revelation came during a wide-ranging conversation that touched on Muhammad‘s recent title victory over Leon Edwards, upcoming fights, and global politics.
“I guess a lot of fighters of my generation are about to get paid out,” Shields said during the podcast. “Supposedly we’ll see if the money actually comes, but I guess we won a bunch of money – they lost like 400 million or something.”
When asked if he knew how much he would personally receive, Shields responded:
“I think Le said like, I don’t know, half a million or something, but whatever – not money I’m expecting.”
The lawsuit, which has been ongoing for several years, involves UFC fighters who competed between approximately 2010–2017. According to Shields, fighters who participated in the organization during this period are entitled to compensation based on factors like the number of fights and percentage of purses earned.
“Fighters that don’t know if they fought between I think it’s 2010 and 17 or 19, they’re entitled for some money,” Shields explained. “They’ve got to figure out how to contact the guy… they can get paid out on that.”
The settlement comes after years of legal battles regarding alleged antitrust violations by the UFC. The podcast didn’t delve into the specific details of the settlement terms, but it appears to be a significant victory for former fighters who have long claimed the organization engaged in anticompetitive practices.
Shields, who fought in multiple organizations including Strikeforce before joining the UFC, noted that fighters will receive different amounts based on their specific circumstances during the relevant period.
The lawsuit’s resolution marks a potential windfall for numerous former UFC competitors who have awaited the outcome of this long-running legal dispute.
