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.
The incident 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. Friday’s weigh-ins also saw complications elsewhere on the card, with former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and flyweight Alex Perez both missing weight and fined 25 per cent of their purses, though their bouts are still expected to proceed.
