Published on: January 23, 2026, 04:14h.

Updated on: January 23, 2026, 04:47h.

• UFC bantamweight Cameron Smotherman collapsed post weigh-in at UFC 324
• The fighter fainted onstage and was quickly taken to the hospital
• This occurrence led to the cancellation of his match and revived discussions about weight management in MMA

Cameron Smotherman, a bantamweight contender in the UFC, collapsed during the weigh-ins for UFC 324 held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Just moments after weighing in at 135.5 pounds, the 28-year-old fighter became faint and fell to the stage. Medical personnel on-site provided immediate assistance, and he was swiftly transported to a nearby hospital, resulting in the cancellation of his scheduled bout against Ricky Turcios. This incident has reignited concerns regarding the safety of extreme weight-cutting practices in mixed martial arts.

After successfully meeting the bantamweight limit, Smotherman showed visible signs of exhaustion as he stepped away from the scale. Within moments of walking away, he collapsed face-first onto the platform.

UFC officials, along with personnel from the Nevada commission and medical staff, quickly rushed to assist him. Smotherman briefly regained consciousness before being taken offstage for further assessment.

As of now, there is no official update on Smotherman’s condition, and the MMA community is closely monitoring his situation, sending their well-wishes.

Concerning Trends

This unsettling event unfolded just prior to the UFC’s debut event under its new multi-billion dollar broadcasting agreement with Paramount. The weigh-in session was already troubled, with former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo and contender Alex Perez each missing weight by 2.5 pounds, resulting in fines of 25% of their fight purses; however, both bouts are set to continue.

Weight management practices in MMA continue to be a highly debated issue, with numerous fighters regularly losing more than 10% of their body weight in the days leading up to weigh-ins.

Fans, fighters, and experts rapidly took to social media to express their concerns, highlighting the risks associated with last-minute dehydration and ongoing issues surrounding the extreme weight-cutting culture in the sport. Many noted that similar instances of collapse have occurred behind the scenes at previous events, emphasizing the prevalence and dangers of these practices.

UFC 324 is still slated to proceed on Saturday, January 24 at T-Mobile Arena, featuring a lineup that includes co-main events: Justin Gaethje facing Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight title, and Sean O’Malley going up against Song Yadong.