Can Fighters Sue the UFC?

Perhaps this blog would more appropriately be titled, Why Aren’t Fighters Suing the UFC Left and Right? It’s a fair question, especially if you’re not familiar with personal injury concepts. So why isn’t the UFC drowning in lawsuits due to injured fighters? Well, it’s complicated–but we’re here to explain. 

Can Fighters Sue the UFC? 

When it comes to injuries sustained within the octagon during an official fight, it would likely be difficult for those fighters to file a claim, especially if everyone was following the rules when the injury was sustained. One of the biggest issues is that fighters have–or at the very least should have–a reasonable expectation of becoming injured within the fight. They know that, by the very nature of the sport, serious injuries are possible and even likely, as it is not unheard of for professional fighters to receive emergency medical attention after a fight. Because it could be argued that fighters assume the risk of injury by agreeing to fight, getting compensation for injuries sustained during a fight under normal conditions may be difficult. 

Can UFC Fighters Sue Each Other? 

Fighters may be able to sue each other for the injuries they’ve sustained inside the ring under certain circumstances. For example, if you’re fighting in the UFC and your opponent injures you while doing moves that are illegal, you may have a claim, especially if you can prove that these moves were willful and not accidental (which may be difficult). Fighters may also be able to sue each other for injuries that are sustained outside the ring. So, for example, if two fighters begin fighting during a heated press conference, they may be able to file a claim against each other because the fighting was not the purpose of the press conference, and one of them may not have consented to fight at that point. However, during the fight, it would be difficult to file a claim against each other personally since the fighters have generally assumed the risk of injury.  

The Referee 

If you’ve ever watched MMA, you’ve probably witnessed the referee run straight into the fight and push one fighter off of someone who’s either been knocked out, or is about to be knocked out. Having a designated person to stop the fight helps prevent injury, and protects organizations from liability. But what happens when the referee doesn’t do their job? If a fighter is injured because the referee didn’t stop the fight in time, the injured fighter may have a claim. If the referee is employed by the organization hosting the fight, the UFC for example, then that organization would be liable.  

Security 

The UFC has an obligation to protect its fighters (its employees or signed talent) from outside threats, like crazed fans. If the UFC doesn’t have adequate security to protect its fighters from fans and a fighter gets hurt, they maybe have a claim against the UFC for inadequate security measures.  However, while the UFC should have measures in place to prevent fans from jumping into the octagon, the UFC wouldn’t likely be liable for any injuries a fan sustains from interrupting a fight by jumping into the octagon. 

Unbeknownst to Fighters… 

Generally speaking, organizations like the UFC, NFL, MLB, etc have a duty to inform their athletes about any defective equipment, or common injuries sustained while playing the sport. Now, if the UFC had information that supported that the mouth guards it provided were defective, and not adequate to protect a fighter’s mouth, and a fighter sustained significant injury as a result of a blow to the face, this could be similar to when NFL players sued when the NFL had knowledge about defective helmets. Depending on the extent of the knowledge of the organization, and the dangerous consequences presented to fighters because of the defective mouthguards, they may have a basis to sue the UFC. Of course, this is all hypothetical at this point, but this is the way a claim could be made. 

When You’ve Been Injured 

When it comes to determining liability for injuries sustained in a fight, the circumstances of the fight are extremely important. What may be negligence in one situation, may not necessarily be negligence under a different set of circumstance. If you have sustained injury, and you have questions about whether or not you could file a personal injury claim Moxie Law Group is here for you. We offer free consultations to help the injured party determine whether or not they’d benefit from filing a personal injury claim. If you’ve sustained injury and you’ve got questions about your case, contact Moxie Law Group today for a free consultation.