Bantamweight fighter Cameron Smotherman collapsed face first at the UFC weigh in, in las Vegas on jan 23. He stepped onto the scale, made weight at 135.5 pounds, and immediately stumbled. Within moments, he fell on the stage. The medical staff was rushed in, and he was carried away. His scheduled bout against Ricky Turcios was scrapped before the card even began.
Later that day, Cameron broke his silence. In a video message shared on social media, he said he was ‘completely okay’ and thanked fans for their concern. He also pushed back against the assumption that an extreme weight cut caused the incident. Cameron said he did not cut an excessive amount of weight. He too is unsure what triggered the fainting episode. He said he underwent medical tests and also that further evaluations would follow.
CEO and President of Ultimate Fighting Championship Dana White said there could be several reasons behind the collapse. Reports later confirmed that Cameron was taken to the hospital as a precaution, got his scans done, and was discharged with minor injuries from the fall.
This incident brings the weight-cutting conversation back into focus. While fighters making weight without issue is the norm, the process still pushes the body to uncomfortable limits. Even when a cut is described as normal, dehydration and physical stress remain part of the equation.
Smotherman also apologised to Turcios, whose bout was cancelled before fight night. For fighters trying to build momentum, a lost fight is more than a missed appearance — it is lost pay and lost opportunity.
Cameron Smotherman is now expected to focus on getting better and receiving medical clearance before he returns to action. Meanwhile, the UFC will continue to insist its protocols are sufficient, even as incidents like this keep the weight-cutting debate alive.
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