Dana White has been ordered to testify in an ongoing antitrust lawsuit against the UFC.
White, along with one of the UFC’s legal department heads, Tracy Long, will be put on the stand in the Cirkunov v. Zuffa class action lawsuit. In that case, the UFC must turn over fighter pay and contract discussion data – including cell phone data from White’s phones.
Advertisement
The issue at heart: Multiple phones and data were disclosed, but the plaintiffs in the case have alleged “gaps in production” from White’s data and Long’s data.
Judge Richard F. Boulware, who was the judge in the Le vs. Zuffa class action lawsuit, which resulted in a $350 million verdict against Zuffa/UFC, ordered a “spoilation hearing” for Feb. 4-5 at which WhIte and Long will have to testify.
“Spoilation” is the legal term for the destruction or concealment of evidence – and it could wind up being a really big deal.
The judge White and Long will testify in front of Feb. 4-5 is the same judge White has publicly accused of having a vendetta against him in ongoing antitrust cases against the promotion. Earlier this year, White said in an interview he went to high school with Boulware and accused the judge of having personal beef with him.
Advertisement
“I don’t think (I was a bully to him),” White told Yahoo! Sports. “I don’t think I did anything to this guy. I don’t know what the hell happened. But there’s no doubt in my mind this feels absolutely personal, and whatever it is with this guy, we’ll let the lawyers deal with it, and it is what it is.”
But now the lawyers and White will have to deal with it, and according to The MMA Draw’s deeper dive into the case, if White and the UFC are found to have concealed evidence or destroyed it, it could impact the current arbitration and class-action lawsuits against them – and cost potentially billions.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dana White must testify in UFC case over alleged evidence destruction
