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Anthony Johnson Misses Weight by 11lbs for UFC 142 Bout with Vitor Belfort
Jan 13, 4:57 pm EST
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Anthony Johnson at the TUF 8 Finale
MMAWeekly.com
Anthony Johnson’s long nightmare of weight cutting continued at UFC 142 despite moving up to middleweight, and he will miss the mark for his fight with Vitor Belfort.
UFC president Dana White broke the news during the UFC 142 weigh-ins on Fuel TV.
“Anthony Johnson is not on weight today, and when I say he’s not on weight, he’s way off weight,” White announced. “We went back, we sat with Vitor Belfort, called him. The way that this normally works is Vitor can come in on weight, Vitor is on weight and he would get 20 percent of Johnson’s purse.
“The stipulation is Vitor does not want him to weigh more than 205 pounds by tomorrow at like two o’clock in the afternoon. So we’re going to have to see how this thing plays out.”
Because of Johnson’s weight being so extremely over the mark, Belfort requested that for the fight to still happen, his opponent has to weigh in a second time on Saturday. The UFC will stand by Belfort’s request, so if Johnson can’t make the 205-pound limit tomorrow, there will be no co-main event.
“Yes, he’ll weigh in today and he’ll have to weigh in again tomorrow,” White stated.
Visibly upset, White was not at all happy speaking about Anthony Johnson on Friday in Brazil. Johnson has missed weight on several occasions in the past when he was cutting down to welterweight.
Moving up to 185 pounds was supposed to solve that issue, but Johnson still came in heavy at 197 pounds, an incredible 11 pounds over the 186-pound weight limit for a middleweight fight.
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“As a fighter, you are a professional, you are contracted to come in at a certain weight. This is not the first time that this has happened with Johnson. He moved up to 185 pounds so this wouldn’t happen to him at 170 pounds and here we are in this same position again,” White said.
“Vitor is bummed out. Vitor feels the same way I do. Vitor Belfort has to cut this weight, too. Vitor is older than Rumble Johnson is. He came in like a professional, on weight, and Anthony Johnson comes in as a total unprofessional, way over weight.”
Assuming the fight moves forward, Johnson will pay 20 percent of his purse to Belfort.
White didn’t comment about Johnson’s future with the UFC, but it would be hard to imagine his status with the promotion is in strong standing after this latest weight cutting incident. It may be a win or go home situation for Johnson to hope for another shot in the UFC Octagon.
Jan 13, 4:57 pm EST
tweet15
Anthony Johnson at the TUF 8 Finale
MMAWeekly.com
Anthony Johnson’s long nightmare of weight cutting continued at UFC 142 despite moving up to middleweight, and he will miss the mark for his fight with Vitor Belfort.
UFC president Dana White broke the news during the UFC 142 weigh-ins on Fuel TV.
“Anthony Johnson is not on weight today, and when I say he’s not on weight, he’s way off weight,” White announced. “We went back, we sat with Vitor Belfort, called him. The way that this normally works is Vitor can come in on weight, Vitor is on weight and he would get 20 percent of Johnson’s purse.
“The stipulation is Vitor does not want him to weigh more than 205 pounds by tomorrow at like two o’clock in the afternoon. So we’re going to have to see how this thing plays out.”
Because of Johnson’s weight being so extremely over the mark, Belfort requested that for the fight to still happen, his opponent has to weigh in a second time on Saturday. The UFC will stand by Belfort’s request, so if Johnson can’t make the 205-pound limit tomorrow, there will be no co-main event.
“Yes, he’ll weigh in today and he’ll have to weigh in again tomorrow,” White stated.
Visibly upset, White was not at all happy speaking about Anthony Johnson on Friday in Brazil. Johnson has missed weight on several occasions in the past when he was cutting down to welterweight.
Moving up to 185 pounds was supposed to solve that issue, but Johnson still came in heavy at 197 pounds, an incredible 11 pounds over the 186-pound weight limit for a middleweight fight.
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“As a fighter, you are a professional, you are contracted to come in at a certain weight. This is not the first time that this has happened with Johnson. He moved up to 185 pounds so this wouldn’t happen to him at 170 pounds and here we are in this same position again,” White said.
“Vitor is bummed out. Vitor feels the same way I do. Vitor Belfort has to cut this weight, too. Vitor is older than Rumble Johnson is. He came in like a professional, on weight, and Anthony Johnson comes in as a total unprofessional, way over weight.”
Assuming the fight moves forward, Johnson will pay 20 percent of his purse to Belfort.
White didn’t comment about Johnson’s future with the UFC, but it would be hard to imagine his status with the promotion is in strong standing after this latest weight cutting incident. It may be a win or go home situation for Johnson to hope for another shot in the UFC Octagon.
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