UFC bantamweight Cameron Smotherman collapsed immediately following his official weigh-in for UFC 324 on Friday in Las Vegas. Smotherman successfully made weight at 135.5 pounds for his scheduled bout against Ricky Turcios. Following the incident, he was transported for medical evaluation, and his fight was subsequently canceled.
Incident Overview
Cameron Smotherman, 28, exhibited signs of instability after stepping off the scale at the T-Mobile Arena. He fainted and fell to the stage immediately after weighing in at 135.5 pounds. Medical personnel and UFC staff promptly provided assistance. Smotherman briefly sat up before lying down again but later regained consciousness and was assisted off the stage. He was then transported for medical evaluation. The UFC has not released further details on his current condition. The specific cause of the collapse was not immediately clear.
Bout Cancellation
As a direct result of the incident, Smotherman's bantamweight fight against Ricky Turcios, which was planned for the preliminary card of UFC 324, has been officially canceled. Turcios is also expected to be removed from the fight card. This was to be Smotherman's fourth appearance in the UFC, holding a professional record of 12 wins and 6 losses.
Weigh-in Context and Other Issues
UFC regulations require official weigh-ins the morning prior to competition, a process often associated with significant weight-cutting practices by fighters. Smotherman did not attend the subsequent ceremonial weigh-in for fans and media.
The incident has drawn renewed attention to the practice of weight-cutting in mixed martial arts. Other weigh-in issues for UFC 324 included former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and flyweight Alex Perez missing their respective bantamweight and flyweight limits. Both fighters incurred a 25% purse fine, but their bouts are scheduled to proceed as planned.
UFC 324's main event features an interim lightweight title fight between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje.