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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Manny Pacquiao scored a knockout in court after a judge overturned and vacated a verdict against him in a lawsuit filed by Paradigm Sports Management, a prominent agency that also represents UFC superstar Conor McGregor.

Judge Walter P. Schwarm issued his decision on Aug. 12 in court documents obtained by MMA Fighting on Monday. The judge stated that the “court finds for Mr. Pacquiao on the cross-complaint’s declaratory relief cause of action and declares the contract void due to illegality.”

Basically the decision boiled down to Audie Attar — Paradigm’s founder and CEO — not holding a management license issued by the California State Athletic Commission at the time the contract was signed to represent Pacquiao.

The judge didn’t dispute that Pacquiao signed the agreement to have Paradigm represent him, but “Mr. Attar’s testimony supports that [Paradigm Sports Management] did not have the required license … based on the evidence, the court finds that Mr. Pacquiao has demonstrated, by a preponderance of evidence, that [Paradigm Sports Management] did not have the required license under [California law].”

Based on those findings, the court ruled that “the contract is illegal” and “unenforceable.”

As a result, the judge overturned the jury’s verdict, which originally awarded $ 5.1 million damages to Paradigm after the company alleged that Pacquiao was in breach of contract after signing with the agency to represent him for future fight negotiations but ultimately allowing others to continue negotiating for him for bouts. Paradigm also paid Pacquiao millions in a signing bonus to join the agency, which was part of the basis for the lawsuit.

“After hearing Paradigm Sports Management’s objections to the tentative decision, the court decided the contract that Paradigm sought to enforce Mr. Pacquiao was illegal as Paradigm was not properly licensed,” Pacquiao’s attorney Jason Aniel said in a statement to The Philippine Star.

“This decision negates the jury’s findings back in May of 2023. We thank the court’s time and effort in this matter. Mr. Pacquiao thanks his fans for their patience while the court fully resolved all the legal issues.”

All told, Pacquiao was on the hook for more than $ 8 million, including attorney fees, due to Paradigm from the jury’s verdict, which was issued back in 2023.

Now that decision has been vacated.

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Following the UFC 305 fights at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, UFC officials announced the recipients of the performance-based fighter bonuses.  Four fighters banked an extra $ 50,000 for the efforts inside the octagon: Dan Hooker, Mateusz Gamrot, Kai Kara-France and Carlos Prates.

Fight Of The Night: Dan Hooker vs Mateusz Gamrot

Dan Hooker and Mateusz Gamrot put on a show, delivering the back-and-forth battle everyone was hoping for. Gamrot came out strong, landing some solid shots before attempting to take it to the ground, but Hooker held his own and even landed a strong shot towards the end of the first round. The second was a toss-up, with Hooker landing the bigger hits and Gamrot scoring a takedown. By the third, they were trading punches, with Hooker shutting down most of Gamrot’s grappling attempts. In the end, the judges gave the hand raise to Hooker after an awesome scrap between two top lightweights.

Performance Of The Night: Kai Kara-France

Kai Kara-France made a triumphant return to the Octagon, securing a dominant first-round stoppage over recent title challanger Steve Erceg. After landing a powerful left hand that dropped Erceg, Kara-France wasted no time finishing the fight, putting himself back in the flyweight title conversation. This emotional win marked his first victory since March 2022 and could lead to him getting a shot at the title sooner than we think.

Performance Of The Night: Carlos Prates

Carlos Prates started the UFC 305 main card with a bang, becoming the first to knock out veteran Li Jingliang and adding another impressive victory to his standout rookie year. Prates displayed his dangerous striking skills, damaging Li repeatedly before finishing him with a left hand in the second round. Now 3-0 in the UFC and riding a 10-fight win streak, Prates is building a strong case for a Top 15 ranking.

UFC 305 Attendance and Gate Numbers

14,152 spectators filled RAC Arena to witness UFC 305 resulting in a gate totaling $ 5,477,097 USD.  UFC 305 set the record for the highest grossing event in RAC Arena history.  

MMAWeekly.com | UFC and MMA News, Results, Rumors, and Videos

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

A new trial date is set for the UFC antitrust lawsuit initially filed against the promotion by fighters such as Cung Le, Nate Quarry, and others back in 2014.

On Monday, Judge Richard Boulware in Nevada set a new trial date on Feb. 3, 2025, and also informed both the plaintiffs and defendants that the date won’t be changed unless he approves a new preliminary settlement agreement between the two parties.

The trial is set to start in 2025 after Boulware denied a settlement agreement between the UFC and fighters involved in two separate antitrust lawsuits — one covering athletes from 2010 to 2017 and a second representing fighters from 2017 to the present — that would have paid out $ 335 million.

The judge previously stated in court that he objected to the settlement because the agreed upon payout seemed low and the fighters represented in the second lawsuit — covering athletes from 2017 to the present — could object to arbitration and class-action waiver clauses in existing contracts.

The initial antitrust lawsuit filed in 2014 argued that UFC engaged “in a scheme to acquire and maintain monopsony power in the market for elite professional MMA fighter services.” The fighters claimed UFC achieved that goal through three key elements: Exclusive contracts, coercion, and acquisitions that eliminated potential competitors.

Despite both UFC and the fighters agreeing to the settlement, the judge issued his denial and ordered the trial to start next year unless the two parties can come to a new agreement for him to approve.

In court prior to the judge denying the settlement agreement, attorneys for the fighters noted that the athletes involved in the lawsuit could use the money sooner rather than later with TKO Group Holdings — the company that owns UFC — already earmarking funds to pay out the $ 335 million with disbursement expected to start as early as September.

“They’d be better off both taking the money, getting the injunctive relief,” Eric Cramer, lead attorney for the fighters told the judge prior to his ruling. “The world where that doesn’t happen is not in that fighter’s interests because I would tell that fighter if they were in my office, ‘You’re likely to lose. You’re likely to get nothing.’”

To win at trial, the fighters have to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt and secure a unanimous decision from the jury. Even if a jury finds in favor of the fighters, UFC would almost certainly file an appeal, and that could play out in court over several more years.

Of course, UFC and the fighters can continue talks in hopes of reaching a new settlement agreement that would prevent the trial from actually starting but the judge still needs to sign off with his approval.

For now, UFC and the fighters are preparing to make arguments in court starting on Feb. 3, 2025.

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No more title fights?
| BJPenn.com

UFC

Dan Hooker was looking to score some revenge against Michael Chandler.

Since the 34 year-old “Hangman” is unlikely to avenge his UFC 257 loss to the former Bellator MMA lightweight champion, the next best thing is to steal his red panty night against the biggest draw in the sport, former two-division champion Conor McGregor.

Hooker called for “Notorious” after beating Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 last weekend in Perth.

“How you like me now? Woo! Grapple these nuts!” Hooker shouted after the fight. “I don’t think I fought that well but hey bubba, you get in a fight and get your hand raised, that’s all that counts. Look at me now! I want them all brother! I want the BMF, I want Conor McGregor, I want a title eliminator, I want everything brother! I want it all Sean [Shelby], I want it all Hunter [Campbell]!”

McGregor has been keeping Chandler on the sidelines since late 2022, thanks to a never-ending series of injuries, delays, and setbacks. Their “Ultimate Fighter” payoff is now rumored for later this year, presumably at UFC 309 in Las Vegas, though nothing is official at this time.

“I didn’t necessarily call him out, I just said like, because I am absolute troll, so it’s like the biggest troll move you could do of all time is to snake that fight off Chandler,” Hooker told The Mac Life. “Like he waits all that time and then Conor just fights me anyway, like that would be gold. Like, I would feel like the biggest snake troll of all time. I would get my black belt in trolling.”

Maybe he can have his belt presented by Master Henry Cejudo.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Michael Bisping didn’t pull any punches when it comes to Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson.

On November 15, Paul and Tyson face off in an eight-round boxing match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex. The bout has drawn a lot a lot of criticism given the nearly 30-year age gap between the two and the fact it was already postponed once due to a Tyson medical episode, but that hasn’t slowed the promotion. Over the weekend, the duo held a press conference in New York City, which UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping reacted to.

“Let’s see what this press conference delivers,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “We know the fight is a joke, to be honest, but let’s see what the press conference delivers. See if it can get us any more excited for this absolute shit show. This farce of a fight. I’m not very convinced it will.”

Unfortunately, the press conference didn’t seem to assuage any of Bisping’s issues. On the contrary, as Paul adopted a combative demeanor during the event, even telling the booing crowd “you’re just like Mike Tyson, you were good 20 years ago,” Bisping noted that was giving up the game.

“Jake, I hate to point out the obvious, that makes you look pathetic,” Bisping said. “You just admitted that you’re going up against an old man, who is a legend of course, but he’s not that guy anymore.

“Jake Paul, he’s a total — he’s just a tool bag. I’m not going to lower myself and swear. Look at him. It’s nice to see that he’s finally getting booed and the kind of response that he deserves.”

Of course, the reality is, this fight is not so much about competition as it is a business decision. The bout will be the first live combat sports event streamed on Netflix and figures to generate a massive amount of money for all parties involved. Nonetheless, Paul repeatedly referenced the fight as a meaningful step in proving he’s a real boxer, and Bisping takes umbrage with Paul insisting on marketing this as anything other than a cash grab.

“You are a joke,” Bisping said. “You are a disgrace to the combat world. You’re an imposter. You’re a wannabe. You’re a fake. Challenge yourself, you pathetic man, you pathetic individual. Fighting is about challenging yourself. Granted, business. Killing it in that regard. But don’t give me this fighter bullshit. That’s what gets on my nerves.

“The man’s almost 60,” Bisping said. “He’s almost a pensioner. … Mike Tyson was a terrifying individual. To go up against that man, in his prime, Jesus Christ, he was one of the scariest individuals that we’ve ever seen throughout any combat sport. The man was a straight killer. Was. Again, the key word.

“I’m 45. When I was 25, I was a different person. I was a maniac. I was out of control and I would have fought anybody. And if I was Jake Paul right now, at 26 years old, and you said to me, ‘We’re going to give you someone that’s 58 years old,’ I’d have been like, ‘Oh my god. You’re going to pay me to do this? You’re going to pay me $ 40 million, whatever the price tag is, to go out there and beat up a guy like that? Oh my god.’ I would have said, ‘Stick it up your ass. Give me someone who is my age.’ Because that is not competition and that is what a true fighter would say and should say.”

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