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Retired star calls for UFC champ's title to be stripped

Anthony Johnson has now retired from the Octagon but he's determined to keep fighting Daniel Cormier after accusing the UFC champ of cheating.

Following a suspicious 1.2 pound loss of weight over the course of two minutes at the UFC 210 weigh-in, "Rumble" Johnson's camp has appealed Daniel Cormier's official weigh-in.

Johnson is requesting 20-percent of Cormier's purse and said the champion should be stripped of the UFC light heavyweight belt.

Johnson wants Cormier stripped of his title. Pic: Twitter
Johnson wants Cormier stripped of his title. Pic: Twitter

With five minutes to go in the two-hour weigh-in window, Cormier stepped on the scale, naked behind a towel, at 206.2 pounds. Distraught, Cormier exited the scale.

A couple minutes later, Cormier returned, stepped on the scale a second time, and hit 205 pounds on the nose.

The only visible difference between Cormier's first trip to the scale and the second was that he had his hands draped on the towel strung in front of him on the second attempt.

Cormier only made weight at the second attempt. Pic: UFC
Cormier only made weight at the second attempt. Pic: UFC

Cormier has not sufficiently addressed the abrupt loss of 1.2 pounds and what is being noted as "the towel trick." according to Johnson's camp.

The only real public defense that Cormier has made is to say that the scale must have been faulty.

Cormier went on to defend his championship against Johnson, submitting him in the second round. Rumble then shocked the UFC world by announcing his retirement after the fight.

Johnson is not contesting the outcome of the fight, but is requesting that Cormier be called upon to give sworn testimony to the New York State Athletic Commission about how he was able to lose 1.2 pounds in two minutes and why his hands were grabbing the towel on his second weigh-in attempt.

If Cormier's testimony does not provide evidence and a suitable, fact-based explanation, Johnson's appeal calls for Cormier to be disciplined.

The appeal, at minimum, requests Cormier be suspended, pay 20-percent of his fight purse to Johnson, and be stripped of the UFC light heavyweight championship for failing to make weight.