Hunter Campbell’s testimony in the UFC’s ongoing antitrust lawsuit gave one of the clearest looks yet into how the organisation operates behind closed doors.
Hunter Campbell, the UFC’s chief business officer, spent more than seven hours under oath in Nevada Federal District Court, answering questions about contract negotiations, internal decision-making, and litigation procedures.
His appearance also placed renewed focus on Dana White’s role within the company and how the promotion handles sensitive internal matters.
What Campbell said about Dana White and UFC contract practices
Hunter Campbell told the court that Dana White does not negotiate fighter contracts and does not review the UFC’s standard contract template.
He said White refers contract and fight-related discussions to the matchmaking team, made up of Campbell, Mick Maynard, and Sean Shelby, a structure he said has been in place since his return to the organisation in 2017.
Campbell acknowledged the arrangement may sound unusual, but said White places complete trust in his team and does not question compensation figures when told matters are under control.
Judge Richard Boulware expressed scepticism, questioning how a company CEO could have no involvement in reviewing athlete contracts or pay.
Campbell also addressed the UFC’s use of Letters of Agreement, which provide payments outside publicly disclosed contracts.
He said those agreements are often used for high-profile fighters or special circumstances and cited Diego Lopes as an example, explaining that private payments can be necessary due to security concerns.
“Violence is a very real and serious concern with these guys,” Campbell said.
Phone handling, litigation hold and court scrutiny
A significant portion of Campbell’s testimony focused on how cell phones were handled during the litigation process.
Campbell said he always acted as if he were under litigation hold and encouraged others, including Dana White, to do the same.
He told the court that when one of White’s phones went missing, he treated the situation seriously and initiated searches at the UFC office and in both his and White’s homes.
Despite those efforts, the phone was not recovered, and Campbell maintained that he and other executives cooperated with court orders. Judge Boulware criticised the length of time it has taken for the UFC to analyse
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