Apparently making weight at 170 wasn’t the problem for Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. It’s making weight period.
Johnson, who had a history of problems making weight while fighting at welterweight, hit the scales at 197 pounds for his middleweight bout against Vitor Belfort. Belfort made weight at 186.
“Rumble” will now surrender 20% of his fight purse to Belfort, while Dana White railed against Johnson as “totally unprofessional”.
“As a fighter, you are a professional. You are contracted to come in at a certain weight. This is not the first time 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 the same position again. [Belfort] came in like a professional on weight, and Anthony Johnson comes in as a total unprofessional, way overweight.”
Belfort has stated that as long as Johnson weighs under 205 pounds by tomorrow, the Brazilian will fight him at light heavyweight. Otherwise, the bout may be canceled. The Brazilian crowd at the weigh-ins greeted Johnson with a chant of “you’re going to die” upon his arrival at the weigh-ins, but it’s a good bet it won’t be due to starvation.
