Bellator Fires Back, Sues UFC Regarding Jonathan Brookins

(Brookins before his fight with Jose Aldo)

Bellator Sports Worldwide, LLC has filed a lawsuit alleging the Ultimate Fighting Championship of “tortious interference of contract” concerning WEC veteran and “The Ultimate Fighter 12” contestant Jonathan Brookins.

MMAjunkie.com first reported the news today.

According to the lawsuit, which was filed in New Jersey earlier today, Brookins joined the cast of the twelfth season of the reality series while still under contract with Bellator. The promotion claims the contract was exclusive. Brookins’ manager Mickey Dubberly and the fighter himself have been included as defendants alongside Zuffa, LLC.

Where the suit gets interesting regarding Brookins allegedly disregarding the exclusive contract is the fact that, since the fighter debuted in Bellator in April of 2009, he has had two fights outside of the promotion, which calls the “exclusive” part of the contract into question. According to promotion officials, Bellator signed off on each bout, granting Brookins permission to take fights outside of the promotion.

However, Dubberly told MMAjunkie.com that his fighter had been verbally released from his contract with Bellator by matchmaker Sam Caplan. Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney contested the comments, stating that Brookins had not been let go and that the promotion had been attempting to set him up with fights, but were told that injuries prevented Brookins from accepting any fights.

The lawsuit has a laundry list of counts being brought against the defendants, including breach of contract being brought against Brookins, along with counts of fraud, business information misrepresentation, tortious interference of contract, and several others being brought against the other defendants.