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Earlier at the UFC 324 weigh-ins, Michael Bisping said, “I never have any sympathy for these guys. You got one job, show up on weight. It’s not hard, is it?” Well, it seems like fate found its way to show him the brutal reality that weight cuts are the quiet gamble every UFC fighter makes before the spotlight ever hits them. Fans see the scale number, the flex, and the stare-down, but not the hours of dehydration, dizziness, and sheer determination required to get there.

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That risk failed in a very public way at UFC 324, when Cameron Smotherman collapsed shortly after making weight, and right after Bisping said those words. The sickening thud with which he hit the floor sucked all the air out of the room. ‘The Baby-Faced Killer’ stumbled off the scale and fell to the floor face-first, and suddenly, the fight week storyline wasn’t about matchups or momentum. It was about whether the fighter was okay.

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Dana White provides an update on Cameron Smotherman

‘The Baby-Faced Killer’ had done the hard work, at least on paper. He weighed 135.5 pounds, moved away from the scale, and then his body simply shut down. UFC officials and medical personnel rushed in right away, shielding him from the cameras as he gained consciousness and took him away for evaluation.

Not long after, reassurance came from the top. Dana White‘s update was shared publicly by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, who wrote on X, “Per Dana White, Cameron Smotherman was medically checked out and is doing fine now, after collapsing at weigh-ins this morning.”

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It was a small but important statement, especially given how terrifying the sight was just a few hours ago. However, the 28-year-old’s scheduled bout with Ricky Turcios was scrapped entirely. There was no reshuffle or replacement, only an understanding that health comes first, even on a card as stacked and symbolic as UFC 324.

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Afterall, UFC legend Daniel Cormier, who was one of the panelists at the event, couldn’t help but scream out, “Oh no! What happened? I’ve never seen that.” And while he might’ve never seen it in front of his eyes, this isn’t the first time that such a thing happened at the weigh-ins.

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Back in 2021, women’s bantamweight Julija Stoliarenko collapsed twice during the weigh-in process ahead of her fight at UFC on ESPN 21. She lost balance on the scale and fell, was assisted to stand up, and made weight before collapsing again when she stepped off. As a result of that scare, her battle with Julia Avila was ultimately canceled owing to medical concerns.

Middleweight Uriah Hall also fainted while en route to the official weigh-ins for his fight scheduled at UFC Fight Night 116 and did not make it to the scale. His bout also ended up getting cancelled.

Now, with Smotherman collapsing, what made this moment linger for fight fans was how familiar it felt. Fighters collapsing at weigh-ins is no longer an uncommon sight. But right now, for Cameron Smotherman, the most important outcome is simple: he is okay. The fight can wait, and so can his record. In a sport based on toughness, sometimes the best decision is to step away from the cage before something far worse occurs. And seeing how fans are concerned for his well-being, ‘The Baby-Faced Killer’ took to his social media to provide another update personally to his fans.

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Smotherman says he is “completely OK”

Seeing how the clip went viral on the internet, Cameron Smotherman felt compelled to speak for himself. Hours after the incident, he appeared on social media, composed, clear, and ready to convince fans that he is doing just fine and would soon make a return. Defending the UFC and the weight cut, ‘The Baby-Faced Killer’ claimed that the collapse was not the result of a harsh, uncontrolled weight cut.

In fact, he said he barely cut any weight at all and even came into the week lighter than usual. “All right, I obviously have gotten a lot of messages, and I appreciate all the genuine concern about me. I’m completely OK. I’m good,” he said in a video he shared on social media. But if it wasn’t because of the weight cut, why did the 28-year-old faint?

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Well, even he has no idea, as he said, “I’m not entirely sure what happened.” Cameron Smotherman further added, “I have some more tests and stuff to take in the coming weeks to get to the bottom of it.” He further apologized to his opponent and fans, promising to “hopefully” be back soon.

In a sport where toughness is often confused with silence, fans would be glad that Cameron Smotherman didn’t try to brush it off or posture through it. He acknowledged the scare, thanked everyone for their concern, and returned his attention to what was most important at the time: his health. The Octagon will still be there when the answers come. For now, being upright, alert, and honest is more than enough.

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