Pressure does strange things to people, especially when they’re chasing a dream. For Aaron Tau, that dream was the UFC; the door had finally cracked open, and he could finally see the lights inside. Then, one moment on the scale turned a months-long climb into a free fall. So what actually happened, and why did Dana White’s promotion move so quickly? This wasn’t a close call or a paperwork issue. It was a visible incident at weigh-ins before UFC 325 that raised eyebrows in the room and set off alarms backstage.

Now, according to reports shared online, Tau has been removed from the roster altogether. For those unaware, the City Kickboxing flyweight was set to face Namsrai Batbayar in the Road to UFC Season 4 finals at UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia, last week.

Instead, the bout was scrapped after Tau appeared to use the weigh-in box to shave the reading, initially showing 122.5 pounds for the 125-pound limit. Officials, smelling something fishy, asked for a re-weigh without the box this time. The second reading? 129 pounds. That seven-pound swing ended the conversation. The fight died on the spot, and now, so have Tau’s UFC hopes.

Was it just a bad choice in a high-stress moment? Maybe. But in a sport where weight classes protect fighters and integrity protects the brand, optics matter. If the scale looks manipulated, the promotion treats it as a breach of trust. That’s why the initial on-air suggestion from John Gooden, that the fight could be rebooked, did not hold.

What makes this hit harder is where the Kiwi fighter came from. City Kickboxing isn’t just a gym; it’s a pipeline. Israel Adesanya, Dan Hooker, and Kai Kara-France turned that Auckland room into a global address. In 2024, Tau was being talked up as the ‘next’ CKB name to break through.

There’s another twist in the story that underlines how unforgiving the system can be. Shuai Yin, the fighter Aaron Tau beat in the semifinals, now gets a second chance. With Tau out, Yin is expected to face Batbayar later this year. The bracket moves on without the man who won his spot in it. That’s the quiet cruelty of tournament formats, and ‘Tauzemup’ has now come out with a public apology for the incident.

Aaron Tau apologizes for taking a page out of Daniel Cormier’s book

The irony here is sharp because this is the same trick Daniel Cormier once used years ago. Back at UFC 210, Cormier initially stepped on the scale for his title fight against Anthony Johnson at 206.2 pounds. In his second attempt, he hit the 205-limit, with a little help from a towel, which led to the incident being dubbed as ‘Towelgate’.

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The difference? Cormier was the UFC light heavyweight champion at the time, a proven star who survived the backlash. Tau was an undercard hopeful fighting for a contract. Same move, wildly different consequences.

However, Tau tried to own up to his mistakes and expressed regret publicly. On Instagram, he wrote, “I need to apologise to my opponent, the UFC, my team, and my fans. Though I pushed to the end, I have one job, to make weight and fight. I didn’t do that. I’m sorry.”

So where does that leave him? With an 11–1 record on paper and two successful fights in the UFC on his résumé. Could Tau rebuild outside the UFC? Sure. Plenty of fighters do. But the road back is longer when your exit involves a credibility hit. And when you’re not a champion with a track record to cushion the fall, one misstep can close doors faster than any loss ever could.