Cameron Smotherman collapsed after stepping off the scale at the UFC 324 early weigh-ins on Friday, raising immediate concern over his health and the status of his bantamweight bout with Ricky Turcios on the Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje undercard. He hit the bantamweight limit before fainting on stage in scenes described as “scary” by witnesses and analysts.
Cameron Smotherman collapses at weigh‑ins
Cameron Smotherman successfully weighed in at 135.5 pounds for his scheduled bantamweight prelim against Ricky Turcios at UFC 324. According to multiple reports, he appeared to make weight, turned to step away from the scale, then suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed face-first on the stage.
Officials and members of the UFC staff rushed in immediately as the broadcast cameras captured the fall in real time. On‑air analysts, including Daniel Cormier and Chris Weidman, reacted in real time and later described the moment as frightening to watch.
Reports indicate Smotherman initially lay motionless before beginning to regain consciousness while being attended to by physicians and commission staff. He was eventually sitting up, given water, and then assisted or carried off the stage to continue receiving treatment backstage.
Smotherman was later transported to a hospital for further evaluation after the incident. At the time of reporting, outlets state that he is recovering, but no detailed medical diagnosis or formal UFC statement on the exact cause of the collapse has been released.
Smotherman’s fight with Ricky Turcios was part of the UFC 324 prelims on the same card that features an interim lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, along with Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong and Derrick Lewis vs Waldo Cortes‑Acosta. After the collapse, several reports noted that his bout is in serious doubt and is “highly likely” to be removed from the event pending medical clearance.
As of the latest updates on weigh‑in day, there has been no official confirmation that the Turcios vs Smotherman fight is cancelled, but coverage from multiple outlets frames the contest as at significant risk. Any final decision is expected to depend on medical assessments following his hospital evaluation and communication from the UFC and the athletic commission.
