New Zealand flyweight Aaron Tau found himself at the center of a weigh-in controversy on Friday at UFC 325 in Sydney when officials caught him attempting to manipulate the scales.
Aaron Tau’s Weigh-In Cheat Attempt Cancels UFC 325 Bout
The 32-year-old fighter was the first to step on the scales during the official weigh-ins at Qudos Bank Arena. Tau initially weighed in behind a privacy curtain and registered at 122.5 pounds, which raised immediate suspicion among commentators as it was 3.5 pounds below the 126-pound flyweight non-title limit.
Officials quickly ordered a second weigh-in without the privacy box. This time, Tau stepped on the scales at 129 pounds, three pounds over the divisional limit and a staggering seven pounds heavier than his first attempt. The dramatic weight swing led analysts on the live broadcast and those in the room to speculate that Tau had been resting his elbows on the curtain to reduce his measured weight.
The tactic mirrors the infamous “Towel trick” from 2017, when former light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier admitted to placing his hands on a towel during his weigh-in for UFC 210 against Anthony Johnson. Cormier revealed during his UFC Hall of Fame induction speech that his nutritionist reminded him of the old wrestling trick when he initially missed weight by 1.2 pounds. Unlike Cormier’s successful attempt, Tau’s effort was immediately detected.
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UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard announced during the weigh-in show that the Road to UFC flyweight final between Tau and Namsrai Batbayar had been cancelled. The fight was scheduled to serve as both the tournament finale and an early prelim bout on the UFC 325 card, which is headlined by a featherweight championship rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes.
The cancellation represents a significant setback for Tau, who trains at City Kickboxing in Auckland and held an 11-1 professional record. He had advanced to the final after securing victories over Rio Tirto and Shuai Yin in earlier rounds of the Road to UFC Season 4 tournament. Tau’s only previous loss came on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2024 against Elijah Smith.
The incident leaves Batbayar, who successfully made weight at 126 pounds, without an opponent and uncertain about his future UFC contract opportunity. Road to UFC tournament winners typically receive multi-fight UFC contracts, making the stakes particularly high for both competitors.
