Flyweight Aaron Tau was scheduled to face Namsrai Batbayar in the Road to UFC final this weekend. This bout was also going to kick off the early prelims of UFC 325.
However, the bout has been cancelled due to a cheating attempt by one of the fighters during the weigh-ins earlier today.
Aaron Tau tried to Cheat At the UFC 325 weigh-ins
Aaron Tau, who is yet to sign with the UFC officially, was the last fighter to step on the scales at the UFC 325 weigh-ins. He finally hit the scales, behind a curtain, and weighed 122.25 pounds, which is 3.75 pounds under the non-title flyweight limit.
The live commentators were stunned and immediately questioned if the Kiwi cheated by grabbing the towel, a trick previously used by former UFC double champ Daniel Cormier to make weight successfully.
The curtain was removed next, and the committee made him step on the scales again. This time, he weighed in at 129 pounds, which is 3 pounds over the non-title flyweight limit.
For the unversed, a step on the scales behind curtains to shed the weight of their clothes when they find it extremely hard to make weight. It is used as a last resort.
Jon Anik later announced that the fight had been cancelled.
As previously mentioned, Daniel Cormier, before making the second defense of his light heavyweight title, tried the towel trick in 2017. At the UFC 210 weigh-ins, Cormier, was was 1.2 pounds over the 205-pound limit for a light heavyweight championship fight. However, during the second weigh-in attempt, he came in sharp at 205 pounds. ‘DC’ got rid of the extra weight by resting his hands on the towels.
After Aaron Tau missed weight, commentators and fans speculated that the Kiwi wanted to replicate the aforementioned trick by placing his elbows on the railing of the curtains, but failed, unlike ‘DC.’
Aaron Tau, who boasts a Pro MMA record of 11-1, suffered his lone loss in 2024 against Elijah Smith on Dana White’s Contender Series. After that, in the Road to UFC tournament, he secured 2 back-to-back wins to reach the finals, where he was going to battle Namsrai Batbayar (9-1).
Batbayar, on the other hand, made weight for the fight but is now left without an opponent. Currently, there is no update on whether he will receive a UFC contract.
