So long, “Tauzemup.”
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has officially cut ties with Road To UFC (RTU) finalist and Dan Hooker protege Aaron Tau following a bizarre — and disastrous — weigh-in incident ahead of UFC 325 last week.
Tau missed weight by three pounds for his scheduled Flyweight bout against Namsrai Batbayar, which ultimately resulted in the fight being canceled. But it wasn’t the weight miss itself that sealed his fate — it was what happened next.
During the official weigh-ins, UFC officials brought out the infamous “box of shame,” which requires fighters to strip naked in order to officially make weight. While attempting to weigh in, Tau rested his arms on the box in an effort to manipulate the scale — and it initially worked.
Tau was announced at 122 pounds, a shocking number given that he needed the box. However, the commission immediately noticed the irregularity and ordered a re-weigh without the box. This time, Tau tipped the scale at 129 pounds, confirming the attempted deception.
During the UFC 325 broadcast, commentators stated that Tau vs. Batbayar would be rescheduled for a future event. That plan has since been scrapped entirely, as the promotion has now released Tau from its roster. MMAecosystem was the first to report the news.
In a twist of irony, Yin Shuai, who lost to Tau in the RTU semifinals, will now receive a second chance at a UFC contract. Shuai is expected to face Batbayar later this year.
As for Tau, his UFC dreams appear to be over.
