A Turkish farmer has been officially crowned the world’s tallest man at 8 feet, 1 inch after his Ukrainian rival dropped out of the running by refusing to be measured.

27-year-old Sutlan Kosen, walks with crutches because of weak knees, tells reporters he hopes to parlay his new celebrity status into finding a love interest.

“Up until now, it’s been really difficult to find a girlfriend,” he says through an interpreter. “I’ve never had one, they were usually scared of me. … Hopefully now that I’m famous, I’ll be able to meet lots of girls. I’d like to get married.”

According to Guinness, Kosen’s height was caused by tumor-related damage to his pituitary that triggered the overproduction of growth hormones. The tumor was removed last year.

As for why Ukrainian Leonid Stadnyk (who measured 8 feet, 5 1/2 inches) opted out of the race? He’s reportedly tired of being in the public eye.