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Bloody Elbow

UFC 142: Anthony Johnson Makes Weight, Fight With Vitor Belfort Is On

Yesterday, Anthony Johnson missed weight by eleven pounds for his UFC 142 bout with Vitor Belfort. Missing weight by such a large amount created an understandable stir in the MMA community. Given that Johnson had a history of weight problems at welterweight and this was his first time fighting at middleweight, it was hard for many to understand how he could have so much trouble making 185.

Johnson's excuse was illness that forced him to take fluids, thus screwing up his weight cut. Of course, it sounds more like his "illness" was severe dehydration from cutting weight.

The only way to salvage the fight with Belfort was for Johnson to agree to be weighed in again today on the day of the fight and not weigh over 205 pounds. The UFC has now tweeted that Johnson was able to hit that mark and the fight will go on:

Anthony Johnson weighed in today at 204.2 pounds - tonight's fight with Vitor Belfort is ON
Jan 14 via webFavoriteRetweetReply

SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes

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Comments

Fairness

Kinda not fair the weight advantage…. I know some guys regain a lot of water weight on fight night, but I’m sure there will be a nice advantage for Johnson.

If he made weight yesterday

He could have had an even greater advantage. Instead of having to be 205 he could have been around 210 this morning.

He shouldn't be fighting anyway.

HE COULDN’T MOVE OR FEEL HIS LEGS YESTERDAY!!!!

Dana’s just begging for ESPN to get on this, isn’t he? I can almost hear ESPN turning on their interview lights and Dana readying another f-bomb.

That sounded to me like he was over-exaggerating his condition to try & get some sympathy

If he was as bad as he claims, he wouldn’t be allowed to fight.

That’s what it sounded like to me too…..and Uncle Dana ain’t buying that line of crap. He better dod something amazing tonight or……welcome to Bellator Rumble.

Lol so aj would have to make weight once every 6 weeks or so???

Haha FAT chance

It would make the Bellator MW tourney pretty awesome though

Not if it was from the dehydration. They put the fluids back, he’ ready to go.

Exactly

That sounded to me like he was over-exaggerating his condition to try & get some sympathy

I’m pretty sure he was cleared by the Dr.

Not having water in you compromises a lot of your body

He could have felt like that from a combination of his water loss and soreness from intense work outs.

My mind is blown over this.....

even with a win I wonder what his chances of keeping his job are.

his job is on the line win or lose according to Dana

I didn't mind Rumble before

but after missing that bad and then his fuck all of you attitude about it I am now rooting for Belfort to blast him into oblivion.

I thought he had to make 205 like minutes before the fight, not half a day before.

I was hoping the same thing.
THIS

what the fuck

he has all day do rehydrate and outsize Vitor ridiculously

fuck that

He could have had a much more drastic size advantage had he made weight yesterday
or died

One or the other

yeah, it’s total horse shit. he weighs in at 197 at 7pm local time and they weigh him again at what?…1am (fight day) and as long he’s under 205 can gain as much weight as he wants b4 the fight. The whole purpose of thie re -weighing is to make sure he’s not 20lbs more than what the other fighter weighed in at so that there isn’t any obvious competitive disadvantage and safety issues. Unless they weigh his ass around fight time then that entire proceedure is just a joke.
Hope you enjoy reminiscing abot your UFC days Rumble cause you can start tommorow.

My guess is that they moved the weigh-in up for health reasons

No need to jeopardize the entire sport to teach Rumble a lesson.

yeah… there’s really no point of him weighing in again at all. He’ll probably be 215 by fight time

Vitor by vicious knockout

A light heavy weight is going to get blasted by a middle weight, this is just the inspiration Sonnen needs to challenges Jones.

I blame the trainers, wtf is this amateur hour.

At least buy a fucking scale.

I’m a Rumble fan, I’m really fucking disappointed.

So he gains more weight?

Yes, this is why I’m not a Rumble fan.

Brazil better let him hear it tonight
This is ridiculous

AJ weights 205 this morning, he is going drink a shit load of water now and eat. Most likely will be 215-220 when the fight starts.

I doubt that he can gain that much more in water/food

Unless he overeats

Worst case scenario

They could have fired rumble and pulled Paul Harris from the Massenzio fight and made Vitor vs Paul Harris the co-main.

I will never understand how this guy made 170. Seriously, what the hell was he doing to himself to fight at that weight?

This will be fun when Vitor KO's a heavyweight.

Very disappointed in Rumble here as I am a huge fan of his. It’s hard to buy into this whole excuse with the UFC doctor, fluids, and whatnot. Johnson has to win this or else he will be cut for sure, but I am picking Vitor to win this.

How will buffer announce them?

“In the red corner, weighing in 186 lbs Vitor Belfort, and in the blue corner weighing in 204 lbs Anthony Johnson”?

I thought the re-weigh in was supposed to be later in the day

Weighing him so early in the morning that he probably hasn’t eaten is tilting the advantage before Rumble again.

It would probably be dangerous for Rumble to fight if had to keep the weight off until later, but that should just demonstrate how dangerous his actions are!

i think its just Dana's way of getting the fight on.
On the Fuel show...

Dana said Johnson would be weighing in at 2 today, I’m guessing that’s Rio time so it’d be like 11 est?

they already did it though

had to be before 2

…who cares………

This fight was interesting at 185. Now it is some catch weight fight that really means nothing. If he wins…who cares.

While...you are correct, does this mean you'd rather the fight be off?
it means I have no interest in its outcome.....
I guess I would like to see Vitor win....
so....maybe I do care....
hahaha

I really do agree with you- this fight really has little implications for any division. At this point, its a show. So, LETS WATCH BABY

pretty unfair weight advantage if you ask me

and extremely disrespectful to the sport

make him pay jesus, er i mean vitor

meh, if you want sport disrespect, look back to pride

or Bodog fights.

So, serious question.

Despite the winner…who the hell would you like to see the winner fight?

If Belfort wins, I say give him winner of Bisping/Maia for title shot
If Johnson wins…Jesus…uuuuhh…

handicap match

Anderson, Jones and JDS vs Johnson

meaning he becomes handicapped as a result of it?
Kim Winslow as referee
With a blindfold, a machete,

and crystal meth

She already refs like she's wearing a blindfold
How much of his fight purse did he have to forfeit?

Isn’t it normally like 40% or something like that?

20% and 3 Cheese Burgers.

the cheese burgers was the deal breaker. Fight is off

hahaha

Johnson’s just thrilled everyone forgot about the double down during negotiations

REC'D

For double down.

This debacle pissed me off at first

But the jokes more than make up for it

Any time a fighter doesn't make weight theres a good chance that banned substances are involved. I wouldn't be surprised if this unapologetic doucher tests positive for same banned substances that got Chris Leben suspended.

I can’t think of any recent examples of a fighter both missing weight and failing a drug test

What?

Do you have any examples, or any information at all to back that claim?

Interesting article (below) about the dangers, etc. of weight cutting in MMA
http://mmajunkie.com/news/26974/medical-beat-rumbles-stumble-underscores-mmas-weight-cutting-issues.mma?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

great article that really highlights the dangers of Rumble even fighting tonight.

Back in the summer of 2008 I suffered a severe acute renal failure and came within a couple of hours of dying. It was due to rhabdomyolosis (dehydration and the breakdown/trauma to the skeletal muscle). Although my case was to the extreme and required dialysis treatments, it’s a common condition among athletes who overtrain and do not have enough water in their bodies.

I can tell you through my own experience that Rumble has worse things to worry about other than simply losing the fight. He’s potentially putting his life in danger by fighting and I think the UFC is being highly irresponsible by allowing him to fight

Mike Dolce bringing it.

http://www.mmafighting.com/2012/01/14/vitor-belfort-expected-to-weigh-approximately-205-pounds-come-sa/

“Every fighter is ‘ill’ on weigh-in day. He was bouncing around giving high-five’s in the pre-weigh-in line-up, laughing and looking fine,” Dolce said. “Missing weight is an issue of a weak mind, not body. I have seen thousands of cuts. If an athlete misses it is because he did not prepare properly or he breaks mentally.”

I'm no expert, but my a priori is along the line of what Dolce says
So in that Junkie article... (way at the top of thread)

Dana confirms Johnson was sick BECAUSE of the massive weight cut, not that he was sick for other reasons. He didnt make it to a lb over and the docs forced him to rehydrate…

Yep, Rumble is a moron.

BE commenters, you have all been KILLING it over this situation.

I love you all.

If rumble manages to win

I don’t see him getting cut. I see him becoming the new dark horse of the division. Somebody people can hate because of his “unprofessionalism” but somebody with enough talent (unlike cough cough Bisping) to challenge for a title.

Expect him to be around a while.

i hope they dont cut Johnson if he loses

Instead, I hope they force him to take a LHW. Eat like the big boys, fight with the big boys.

Wouldn't matter

He’d come in at 218 lbs

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