UFC 325 fighter removed after weigh-in controversy releases statement

The fighter who attempted to use Daniel Cormier’s controversial towel trick ahead of UFC 325 has spoken out after the incident.

This Saturday, UFC 325 heads to Perth, with featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski set to defend his title against Diego Lopes in the main event.

With this being the first UFC card in Perth since 2023, several fighters from Australia and New Zealand are featured throughout the lineup.

One of those is Aaron Tau, who was looking to secure a UFC contract by winning his Road to the UFC final bout. Unfortunately for Tau, things didn’t go as planned.

Aaron Tau addresses weigh-in controversy after UFC 325 removal

Tau was set to face Namsrai Batbayer in the Road to the UFC final, with a win potentially securing him a contract with the promotion.

During Friday’s weigh-ins, he tried an old-school trick popularised by former double champion Daniel Cormier, who once used a towel for support while making weight. Instead of going that route, Tau leaned his elbows on the weigh-in box and ended up coming in under at 121lbs. The officials then called for a re-weigh, where he showed up over at 129lbs.

The failed attempts led to his fight being cancelled and him being pulled from the card.

“I need to apologise to my opponent, the UFC, my team and my fans. Thought I pushed to the end, I have one job, to make weight and fight. I didn’t do that. I’m sorry,” said Tau via Instagram.

UFC 325 poll results: Fan prediction for Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes

In Bloody Elbow’s pre-fight poll, fans were asked to pick who they think will come out of Sydney with the featherweight belt.

With Volkanovski already holding a clear win over Lopes from last April, it’s no surprise that over 70 percent of those polled backed ‘The Great’ to keep his title.

The poll drew 1,162 votes in total, with only 331 believing Lopes will be the one to end Volkanovski’s reign on Saturday night.