SAN JOSE, Calif. - Mixed martial arts fighters filed an antitrust lawsuit against the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Tuesday, alleging the organization is a monopoly that chokes off competition, crushes athletes earnings and controls the right to market their names even after their deaths.UFC has taken over the entire industry and dictated its terms upon the fighters ... they dont have any rights. Its the new religion, as it were ... its time for things to change, said Nathan Quarry, who is a plaintiff in the suit along with Cung Le and Jon Fitch.Only Le currently has a UFC contract, although he said at a news conference that he would not fight if called up for a bout.The federal suit was filed in San Jose, where Le lives. Its being brought by high-profile firms involved in suits against such giants as Apple, Google and JPMorgan Chase & Co.At a news conference, lawyers declined to put a price tag on the damages being sought.However, they argued that MMA fighters receive only a fraction of the earnings they could make in a competitive market and their paydays are far less than those of professional boxers.The suit, which seeks class-action status, names Zuffa LLC, the Las Vegas-based company that does business as the UFC.The UFC is aware of the action filed today but has not been served, nor has it had the opportunity to review the document. The UFC will vigorously defend itself and its business practices, the organization said in a statement.According to the lawsuit, the UFC has achieved a monopoly over the years by buying up competitors such as Strikeforce and locking out rivals by its control of elite fighters, major sponsors and TV and arena venues.While there are MMA competitors, such as Bellator, the suit contends that UFC now controls about 90 per cent of the revenues derived from live elite professional MMA bouts. The suit says UFCs revenues are estimated at about $500 million a year from promotion of live events and from merchandising, licensing fees, sponsorships, advertising fees, video game fees, and digital media revenue streams.The UFC also holds the exclusive worldwide rights to fighters names and likenesses in perpetuity, ensuring that the fighters cannot freely license themselves for commercial products or promotions even after their UFC contracts expire — and the UFCs control doesnt even expire after the fighters death, attorney Michael DellAngelo said at the press conference.The suit contends that fighters who worked with rival sponsors or promoters have faced retaliation, with the UFC refusing to book their bouts or barring them from UFC promotions such as ad campaigns or video games.At the news conference, lawyers wouldnt detail what changes they want to make in the current system. China Jerseys . 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Wholesale Jerseys Online .com) - Delon Wright scored 17 points and No.NEWARK, N.J. -- The NHL reduced its penalty against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday for signing Ilya Kovalchuk in 2010. The Devils will keep the first-round draft pick they were scheduled to forfeit this year, and the league will reduce the $3 million fine assessed against the team for circumventing the NHL-NHLPA collective bargaining agreement The Devils recently applied to the league for reconsideration and relief from a portion of the original penalty, citing primarily changes in circumstances which, in the clubs view, changed the appropriateness of the sanctions. The NHL did not spell out what changed, but Kovalchuk retired after last season and returned to Russia to play there. Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said the franchises new ownership asked the league to reconsider the penalty, and a hearing was held this year. "Were pleased," said Lamoriello, who said several factors other than Kovalchuks retirement went into the leagues decision, without elaborating. Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur felt the original NHL penalty was harsh. "I thought it was a bad judgment by them when they penalized with a first-round pick and all the money," Brodeur said. "I thought they hit our organization preetty hard at the time.dddddddddddd It will be nice for the future to count on an extra No. 1 pick." The league said the Devils will be entitled to the 30th selection overall -- the last pick in the first round -- in the 2014 draft. They will not be permitted to trade or transfer its right to that pick. Kovalchuk, who had been acquired by the Devils in February 2010, became a free agent at the end of that season. New Jersey signed him to a 17-year, $102 million deal but the league ruled what would have been the longest contract in NHL circumvented the salary cap and rejected it. Arbitrator Richard Bloch heard the unions appeal and nullified the deal. The Devils eventually signed the Russian to a 15-year, $100 million contract deal. However, the NHL ruled the original contact tried to get around the salary cap and penalized the three-time Stanley Cup champions. The Devils had already forfeited a third-round draft pick in 2011. The team also had a first-round draft pick taken from them in the ruling handed down by an independent arbiter, but they had the right to defer until 2014. The Devils kept deferring the loss of the first-round pick, which they were due to lose in June. The NHL said it would not comment further on the decision. ' ' '