A conspiracy principle is brewing on-line following Friday morning’s UFC 254 weigh-ins on ‘Battle Island’ as some followers counsel that an athletic fee official did not precisely register Khabib Nurmagomedov on the scales.
Nurmagomedov was formally introduced as weighing in on the light-weight championship restrict of 155lbs within the opening minutes of the weigh-in window, with the Russian champion showing gaunt and unsteady on the scales after admitting that he needed to endure chopping TWENTY kilos within the days main as much as Saturday’s principal occasion struggle with Justin Gaethje.
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Having skilled points with chopping weight up to now, most struggle followers appeared relieved that one of many closing hurdles earlier than this weekend’s massively-anticipated conflict had been efficiently crossed – however that hasn’t stopped some from suggesting that there was some underhanded methods at play.
And what would possibly these be? As quickly as Khabib set foot on the weighing scales, the official manning it moved to measure his weight – however appeared to cease the method early and whereas the bar was nonetheless shifting upwards, suggesting that the Russian could have been heavier than his introduced weight.
The footage was famous by ESPN reporter Ariel Helwani, who described the method as a “veteran transfer” by the official, which quickly led to a brigade of on-line sleuths making an attempt to undertake a CSI-style evaluate of the tape.
Others, nevertheless, have famous how the official in query appeared to behave in the identical manner with all the fighters who weighed in on Friday.
ICYMI. Khabib and Gaethje made weight earlier as we speak. Each 155. Khabib was first.
(That’s a veteran transfer by the official manning the size, eh?) pic.twitter.com/oukFztLLza
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 23, 2020
Time line -vs- weight judges fingers… he would have been heavy if the load choose wouldn't have flipped the small bar that stops the load bar from rising up… full BS ! Hope JG takes that zero now for certain ! pic.twitter.com/luH5F7V68I
— James Turbyfill (@turbyj) October 23, 2020
I clipped it and slowed it down. Very suspect. pic.twitter.com/xKHr5Scgmo
— TweeterDeleter💭 (@thgirWnosaJ) October 23, 2020
He did it the identical manner for each fighter. Go watch the entire weigh ins
— Tino (@AustinMartinez_) October 23, 2020
Fight sports activities has historically seen all kinds of tomfoolery on the scales through the years as fighters try to achieve a bonus on the scales or cowl up a foul weight reduce. Two such incidents have occurred within the UFC in latest instances, with Khabib’s American Kickboxing Academy teammate Daniel Cormier accused of gaining an unfair benefit by holding the towel as he weighed in for his UFC 210 mild heavyweight title bout with Anthony Johnson.
Virtually precisely a 12 months in the past UFC middleweight Kelvin Gastelum confronted related allegations after weigh-in footage appeared to point out him ‘leaning’ on the shoulder of his coach Rafael Cordeiro prematurely of his struggle with Darren Until.
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In the end, none of those points are open to any sensible debate as by the point any inquest could come the fighters in query can have rehydrated, making any subsequent measurement of their weight a moot level.
Nevertheless, no matter any shenanigans on the scales, most struggle followers aren’t permitting the problem to detract from what many count on to be a titanic tussle between the world’s premier light-weight fighters.
Am I 100% sure Khabib made 155lbs with none points with the size? No.
Do I care if he was a little bit off? pic.twitter.com/AM3yWvx5sr
— Luke Thomas (@lthomasnews) October 23, 2020
We must always in all probability cancel this struggle, guys. I for one gained't be watching now. https://t.co/D9DT3t3x4M
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) October 23, 2020
If Khabib have been that apprehensive and — if, as Twitter says, .5-1 lb over — why was he the primary to the size?
— Phil Murphy (@Phil_Sports) October 23, 2020
So with the struggle now official and any technique of figuring out what truly occurred now firmly behind us, maybe it’s best to consign Khabib’s UFC 254 weigh-in to the opposite best-kept secrets and techniques of MMA folklore: Did Stipe Miocic faucet in opposition to Alistair Overeem? Did Lee Murray actually KO Tito Ortiz in a streetfight in London? Is Yoel Romero truly a genetically-engineered experiment designed by the Cuban authorities?
The solutions to all of those questions are in all probability finest left unsaid.
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