TLDR
- Aaron Tau attempted the ‘towel trick’ at UFC 325 weigh-ins, initially registering 122.5 pounds
- Officials caught the cheat and ordered a re-weigh, revealing Tau was actually 129 pounds
- Tau was 4 pounds over the 125-pound flyweight limit, leading to immediate fight cancellation
- The trick references Daniel Cormier’s controversial 2017 weigh-in before his Anthony Johnson fight
- The canceled bout was part of Road to UFC, eliminating Tau’s chance at a UFC contract
Sources: GeoSuper | Sportbible | EssentiallySports
The UFC was forced to cancel a scheduled flyweight bout at UFC 325 in Sydney after New Zealand fighter Aaron Tau was caught attempting to cheat during the official weigh-ins on Friday. Tau’s fight against Mongolian fighter Namsrai Batbayar was immediately pulled from the card after officials discovered he had tried to manipulate the scale reading.
Tau arrived at the weigh-ins as the last fighter to step on the scales. He used the modesty curtain, which allows fighters to strip down if needed to make weight, and initially appeared to weigh in at 122.5 pounds, well under the 126-pound limit for a non-title flyweight bout.
Weigh-in commentators Chris Weidman and RJ Clifford immediately questioned why Tau would need to use the curtain when he appeared to be so far under the weight limit. Their suspicions proved correct when UFC staff asked Tau to step back on the scales for a second weigh-in.
The Failed Towel Trick
When Tau stepped on the scales a second time, the reading showed 129 pounds, a full 7-pound difference from his initial weigh-in. Officials had spotted Tau using his elbows to rest on the curtain rod during the first weigh-in, which took pressure off the scales and artificially lowered his weight.
This method has become known as the “towel trick” in MMA circles. The technique gained fame when UFC legend Daniel Cormier used it during his 2017 weigh-in before defending his light-heavyweight title against Anthony Johnson.
Cormier initially failed to make the 205-pound light-heavyweight limit, registering 1.2 pounds over. He returned moments later and hit exactly 205 pounds, but was later seen in video footage resting his hands on the towel held in front of him to reduce the weight on the scales.
Cormier went on to win that fight by submission. He later admitted he “may have grabbed the towel” but denied intentional wrongdoing at the time.
Immediate Consequences
With Tau weighing 129 pounds on his legitimate weigh-in, he was 4 pounds over the flyweight limit. The UFC made the decision to cancel the bout entirely rather than attempt to reschedule or adjust the weight class.
The fight was part of the Road to UFC series, which gives fighters from developing MMA markets a chance to earn a UFC contract. Because it was not an official UFC debut for either fighter, the promotion found it easier to pull the bout from the card completely.
The cancellation means Tau lost his opportunity to compete for a UFC contract through the Road to UFC finals. His opponent Batbayar was also left without a chance to showcase his skills on the international stage.
UFC 325 takes place Sunday at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. The main event features Australian featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski defending his title against Diego Lopes in a rematch of their April 2025 bout, which Volkanovski won.
Both Volkanovski and Lopes successfully made weight at 145 pounds for the featherweight championship limit. The co-main event features Dan Hooker against Benoit Saint-Denis.
