The UFC’s first event since the calendar turned to 2026 began with weigh-ins on Friday, January 24, doing so with a scary scene involving fighter Cameron Smotherman. The 28-year-old was slated to take on Ricky Turcios in a prelim bout for the UFC 324 card headlined by Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett. However, immediately after completing his weigh-in, Smotherman appeared to be walking slightly off-balance before collapsing on the stage from passing out. He was quickly tended to by the on-site medical staff, but the scene understandably led to immense concern for those in attendance, a reaction that was echoed on social media when the video surfaced.
What Led to Cameron Smotherman Passing out and Collapsing at UFC 324 Weigh-Ins?
— clips (@t8confidentiaI) January 23, 2026
Smotherman was helped up, carried off the stage and went to the hospital shortly after. Thankfully, the UFC provided a positive update on the bantamweight fighter later in the day, revealing that he had passed CT scans for his head and neck, needing just a few sutures before leaving the hospital, as MMA Fighting detailed.
While there was no shortage of questions about what led to Smotherman’s collapse, a popular opinion across social media was that it involved the MMA fighter cutting weight. UFC fighters and boxers commonly cut weight or add weight depending on the division they’re fighting in, with Smotherman needing to check in between 126 and 136 lbs for his bout at UFC 324.
However, on Friday night, following the incident, Smotherman provided his own update, telling fans that he was “good” while also refuting that his collapse was due to cutting weight.
“Obviously, I have gotten a lot of messages, and I appreciate all of the genuine concern about me,” Smotherman said. “I am completely OK. I’m good. I’m not entirely sure what happened. I see a lot of people online saying, ‘Oh, it was a crazy weight cut,’stuff like that. I genuinely didn’t cut very much weight for this fight. I came in pretty low, but even in the course of this week, I haven’t cut much weight.
Smotherman added that he has some additional tests scheduled following the collapse, but reiterated the fact that he didn’t cut much weight before weigh-ins at UFC 324.
“I’m not entirely sure what happened, and I have some more tests and stuff to take in the coming weeks to get to the bottom of it. But for all the people saying I must have done a crazy cut or something like that, I cut very, very little weight. I’m not sure what happened.”
