The fallout from Daniel Cormier’s odd UFC 210 weigh-in has only just begun. According to a report by ESPN, Anthony Johnson’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, the team will be filing an official appeal of the weigh-in “within 24 hours.” This appeal won’t do anything to reverse Johnson’s second round loss to Cormier, but it could get the now-retired fighter paid 20% of Cormier’s purse.
Abdelaziz went on to damn the New York State Athletic Commission for dropping the ball or holding the towel. Whatever.
“I understand New York is new to regulating mixed martial arts, but they’ve been doing boxing for a long time,” he said. “Everybody is trying to sweep this under the rug, but it’s not going to happen.”
In a follow-up, MMA Fighting spoke to Craig Zimmerman, Johnson’s lawyer, who has additional insight and a list of demands:
“Anthony’s opponent came in overweight. I don’t think anyone disputes that. He weighs in, he’s 206.2 roughly, and somehow a minute or two later, he goes backstage, he comes back out, they try it again, he leans on a towel and miraculously he makes weight. I’m a licensed promoter and attorney. I’m licensed in California. The weigh-in is one of the most sacred things in combative sports. Do both fighters meet the weight requirement? Particularly with a title fight, there’s not even a pound allowance. And if you miss weight, there’s a fine.
“I think we need three things. One, we need acknowledgment that the weigh-in was handled incorrectly. Two, we need DC to be fined the 20 percent he should’ve been fined for coming in overweight. And three, we need New York to clean up the weigh-in procedures so this doesn’t happen again.”
The last appeal to the New York State Athletic Commission came from Holly Holm’s camp after her decision loss to Germaine de Randamie. Holm was struck (and rocked) multiple times after the bell. She ultimately lost the appeal.
We’ll see what comes of this, but commissions rarely rule in a fighter’s favor.
(Via ESPN/MMA Fighting)
