Former title challenger to replace Cazan Johnson as lead plaintiff

Suit filed in 2021 alleges UFC suppressed fighter pay

Former UFC lightweight fighter Gray Maynard is set to become a lead plaintiff in an antitrust class-action lawsuit against the UFC. [Getty Images]
Former UFC lightweight fighter Gray Maynard is set to become a lead plaintiff in an antitrust class-action lawsuit against the UFC. [Getty Images]

Gray Maynard, 47, a former UFC lightweight title challenger, is set to become a lead plaintiff in an ongoing antitrust class-action lawsuit against the UFC.

Pro Wrestling Post, a US combat sports outlet, reported Wednesday (local time) that the plaintiffs filed a motion asking the court to designate Maynard as a new lead plaintiff in place of former UFC fighter Cazan Johnson of Canada.

The lawsuit, filed in 2021, alleges that the UFC used its dominant position in the mixed martial arts market to suppress fighter pay and restrict the activities of rival promotions. It seeks damages on behalf of fighters who competed in the UFC from July 2017 onward, as well as an end to the alleged anticompetitive practices.

The plaintiffs asked the court to allow Maynard to join former UFC fighters C.B. Dollaway of the United States and Tristan Connelly of Canada as lead plaintiffs, replacing Johnson. If the court grants approval, the plaintiffs would file an amended complaint reflecting the updated roster.

The push to swap out Johnson stems from the volume of discovery demands directed at him during the litigation. According to the plaintiffs, the UFC submitted more than 400 discovery-related requests to Johnson, of which 100 targeted him individually.

Of those, 201 requests were filed over an eight-day stretch from Oct. 28 to Nov. 4. The plaintiffs said a significant number had little relevance to the core issues in the case. Even if the court allows the substitution, Johnson would remain part of the class action.

Maynard is a veteran of the UFC's lightweight division who fought Frankie Edgar twice in championship bouts. His name joining the lawsuit has renewed attention to the broader fight over fighter compensation in the sport.

The UFC previously settled a separate antitrust lawsuit — brought by fighters who competed between December 2010 and June 2017 — for $375 million. The current case, covering fighters from July 2017 onward, continues to proceed.


yjc@heraldcorp.com