Controversy surrounded UFC 210 in several ways, but arguably the most talked-about incident from the UFC's debut in Buffalo, NY, came at the weigh-ins, when Daniel Cormier tipped the scales at 206.2 pounds for his main event title fight against Anthony Johnson, then returned to the scale just a couple of moments later to be on weight. Many onlookers noted Cormier, who weighed in naked, grabbing the towel in front of him to make it easier to make weight.
Elias Theodorou discussed the trick in the latest installment of his exclusive Fightful.com podcast. While co-host Showdown Joe said he previously had been unfamiliar with the tactic, Theodorou broke down the "towel trick" and how it works.
He demonstrated while sitting down and continuing to co-host.
"If you just put your fingers on the table, not even pushing down … there's a couple pounds you're taking off your hands. That's so easy," Theodorou said. "That's probably a pound right here, easily. You don't actually have to lift it. Him pushing is him to try and brace himself. There's a difference between someone when they're dead weight, when you don't want to get picked up and you're dead weight, or you want to allow someone to help you you pick you up. Think of the difference between a drunk person and someone who's injured. The injured person wants you to pick you up, but the drunk person's just kind of dead weight. It's how you carry yourself, and it's obvious what he was doing."
The often outspoken Theodorou took a few verbal digs at Cormier, at one point referring to him as "the 206.2 pound champion". Part of that, he later explained, stemmed from frustration.
"I've met him. I'm bigger than him. He's 5-10! But he's a Mack truck, obviously, and he's the best in the world, technically," Theodorou continued. "Don't hate the player, hate the game. It's not illegal unless you get caught."
Cormier finished Johnson in the second round of their Light Heavyweight Title main event, submitting the challenger to a rear naked choke.
Check out the entire episode here.
