NYSAC denies retired UFC title challenger Anthony Johnson's appeal

The New York State Athletic Commission today rejected now-retired UFC light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Johnson’s appeal.

The appeal denial letter can be seen here (.pdf). ESPN.com‘s Brett Okamoto first reported the development.

Johnson’s attorney, Craig Zimmerman, said his team will confer to decide whether to pursue legal action against the commission.

“Their position is that Anthony didn’t officially protest at the weigh-in, so he accepted it,” Zimmerman told MMAjunkie. “I think there’s no requirement that a fighter protest at a weigh-in. I just don’t think they want to rule on it.”

Johnson (22-6 MMA, 13-6 UFC) filed the appeal after a second-round submission loss to champ Daniel Cormier (19-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in UFC 210’s pay-per-view main event on April 8 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. Johnson subsequently retired from MMA.

Johnson, via Zimmerman, asked the commission to depose Cormier under oath about his actions at the weigh-ins for the event. Cormier appeared to lean on a weigh-in towel after coming in heavy, potentially throwing off the scale. Zimmerman said if Cormier couldn’t explain his actions, he should be fined 20 percent of his purse and stripped of the belt.

Johnson later walked back the desire to take the belt, but said Cormier’s actions were wrong and wanted the commission to take action.

Cormier denied any wrongdoing and said he simply wanted to avoid exposing himself upon his second attempt, where he somehow managed to lose 1.2 pounds after weighing in heavy just moments earlier.

NYSAC Interim Executive Director Anthony Giardin initially called Cormier’s second attempt a “legal weigh-in” and added he didn’t see the fighter manipulate the towel. Johnson subsequently weighed in at 203.8, or 1.2 pounds below the limit for the title bout.

Giardina defended the commission’s actions at the weigh-ins, stating Cormier was certified at 205 pounds for the title fight. He added that even if Cormier had violated his bout contract, the commission couldn’t collect since “it has no policy or rule requiring a combatant to relinquish a portion of his or her fight purse.”

Giardina norms Johnson didn’t protest Cormier’s actions between the weigh-ins and the fight, and said there was “no conclusive evidence” to prove Cormier was anything other than on weight. He also refuted Johnson’s claim that Cormier wasn’t examined by a physician after the weigh-ins or after their bout.

For complete coverage of UFC 210, check out the UFC Events section of the site.