The UFC’s weight-cutting circus claimed another brutal moment Friday, and this one was hard to watch.
Bantamweight fighter Cameron Smotherman collapsed immediately after stepping off the scale at weigh-ins ahead of UFC 324 in Las Vegas. Smotherman officially made weight at 135.5 pounds, but seconds later, his body clearly had nothing left to give.
Video from the scene shows Smotherman wobbling before going down, prompting medical staff to rush in. He wasn’t able to walk off under his own power and had to be carried away while officials cleared the area.
Smotherman was scheduled to fight Ricky Turcios on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena, but the matchup is now officially off. ESPN later confirmed the bout has been canceled.
It’s another reminder that “making weight” doesn’t mean making it safely. Fighters can technically hit the number while being completely depleted — dehydrated, exhausted, and on the edge. The scale says success, but the body says absolutely not.
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