Khamzat Chimaev has been accused by MMA fans of cheating his way to gaining weight.
The undefeated Russian entered the weigh-ins this morning to face Li Jingliang, No.11 in the welterweight division. This fight will be held tomorrow night at UFC 267 Abu Dhabi.
UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc), October 29, 2021
Missed Weight
Scale malfunctions
The Towel
Khamzat Chimaev's weigh-in was a rollercoaster...#UFC267 | Sat 5pm | BT Sport 2 HD pic.twitter.com/gRvEyCk0WF
Chimaev was unable to lose weight the first time he asked, weighing in at 171.5lbs. He was then given an additional hour to lose more water.
When he returned, he stripped down and used the towel again to cover his modesty while stepping on the scale.
To the surprise of all those present and fans who were watching live streaming at home, he weighed 166lbs.
However, the official who was in charge of the scale noticed that Chimaev had his hands on the towel and ordered him to lift them.
Borz landed at 171lbs, the limit for non-title fights welterweight.
The drama's footage quickly became viral on social media and prompted a host of accusations that the Chechen had attempted to cheat the scales.
One fan stated that it wasn't a scale error. He was pressing down on the towel during the second weigh-in. A la DC."
Another stated, "Definitely some cheating going."
Another said, "I like Chimaev but I hate blatant cheating such as this."
One commented, "The old hands on the towel trip. He did it 2 more times!
Chimaev's towel antics were compared to Daniel Cormier’s weigh-in for the UFC 210 match with Anthony Johnson.
DC reached the limit shortly after, having missed the championship weight of 206.2lbs.
Video footage captured the former light-heavyweight champion placing his hands on a towel being held up in his hand by one of his teammates.
Chimaev will clash with China's Jingliang in his first appearance since the 17-second defeat of Gerald Meerschaert last Sept.
He was supposed to face Brit Leon Edwards in December, but positive Covid testing for both men ended up denying him the fight.
The effects of Covid for long had a devastating effect on the 27-year old, and he decided to retire from MMA.
After being persuaded to do so by Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen dictator, he changed his mind.
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