Cameron Smotherman experienced a health scare during the UFC 324 weigh-ins on March 15, 2024, collapsing moments after successfully making weight. The incident occurred in front of a crowd, prompting immediate medical attention from on-site staff. They quickly assisted Smotherman, who fell face-first, and he was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital for further evaluation.
Following the incident, UFC officials provided updates to concerned fans. They confirmed that Smotherman underwent CT scans for his head and neck, which returned normal results. After receiving a few sutures, he was discharged from the hospital later that day.
In his first public statement since the collapse, Smotherman reassured fans about his well-being. He took to social media, expressing gratitude for the outpouring of concern. “Obviously, I’ve gotten a lot of messages, and I appreciate all of the genuine concern about me,” he stated. “I am completely OK. I’m good. I’m not entirely sure what happened.”
Smotherman refuted speculation that attributed his collapse to a severe weight cut. “I see a lot of people online saying, ‘Oh, it was a crazy weight cut,’” he explained. “I genuinely didn’t cut very much weight for this fight. I came in pretty low, but even over the course of this week, I haven’t cut much weight.”
He also indicated that further tests would be necessary to uncover the cause of his sudden collapse. “I have some more tests and stuff to take in the coming weeks to get to the bottom of it. But to 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,” Smotherman added.
The bantamweight fighter was scheduled to compete against Ricky Turcios in an undercard bout. However, the fight was canceled following his medical emergency. Smotherman, who joined the UFC in 2024, had previously celebrated a win against Jake Hadley but faced defeats in his subsequent two bouts against Serhiy Sidey and Ricky Simon.
As fans and fellow fighters express their support, Smotherman remains hopeful for a swift return to the octagon. His focus now centers on his health and recovery, with apologies directed towards his opponent and the UFC community.
