UFC bantamweight Cameron Smotherman was taken for medical evaluation after collapsing moments after making weight ahead of Saturday’s UFC 324 card in Las Vegas, prompting the cancellation of his scheduled bout.
Smotherman, 28, appeared visibly unstable as he completed his weigh-in Friday morning at T-Mobile Arena. After stepping on the scale and registering at 135.5lb, the American fighter walked off the platform before losing consciousness and falling forward onto the stage floor.
UFC staff and medical personnel quickly intervened, attending to Smotherman within seconds of the incident. He regained consciousness shortly afterward and was escorted away for further examination by physicians. The promotion has not released additional details regarding his condition.
After the incident, Smotherman’s three-round bantamweight fight against Ricky Turcios was scrapped. The matchup had been scheduled for the preliminary portion of Saturday night’s card.
All UFC fighters are required to officially weigh in the morning before competition, a process often associated with intense weight-cutting practices across the sport. Fighters then take part in a ceremonial weigh-in later in the day for fans and media, though Smotherman did not appear at Friday evening’s event.
Smotherman entered the week with a professional record of 12-6 and was set to make his fourth appearance under the UFC banner. Turcios, a former winner of The Ultimate Fighter reality show, is now expected to be removed from the card entirely.
Friday’s weigh-ins also saw complications elsewhere on the card. Former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo came in over the bantamweight limit, as did flyweight Alex Perez, with both fighters fined 25% of their purses. Despite missing weight, their bouts are still expected to proceed as scheduled.
Saturday’s UFC 324 event is headlined by a high-profile interim lightweight title fight between Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje, one of the promotion’s most anticipated matchups of the year.
The incident involving Smotherman is the latest to renew scrutiny on weight-cutting practices in mixed martial arts, an issue the UFC has acknowledged but has yet to comprehensively reform.
