Entertainment
UFC Fighter Cameron Smotherman Speaks Out After Collapsing Onstage at Weigh-In
NEED TO KNOW
- UFC fighter Cameron Smotherman released a statement after collapsing at a weigh-in in Las Vegas on Jan. 23
- Smotherman, 28, released a statement to address speculation that he might be suffering from dramatic weight cutting
- His fight against Ricky Turcios, scheduled for Jan. 24, was subsequently canceled due to the incident
UFC fighter Cameron Smotherman is addressing the scary moment he collapsed onstage at a weigh-in.
Smotherman, 28, fell to the floor, seemingly unconscious, moments after making weight at UFC 324 in Las Vegas on Friday, Jan. 23. Medics quickly rushed to his aid, and he was able to sit up shortly after the fall.
UFC fighters are required to weigh-in the day before a fight. Smotherman weighed in at 135.5 lbs. during this weigh-in.
The heaviest permitted for his weight class, per UFC.com, is 136 lbs. for non-title bouts and 135 lbs. for title fights.
The bantamweight fighter released a video statement thanking fans for their support on Instagram later that day.
“Obviously, I’ve gotten a lot of messages, and I appreciate all of the genuine concern about me,” Smotherman began in his video message, adding, “I am completely okay. I’m good.”
The athlete went on to address speculation that the incident had something to do with drastic weight loss before the event, which is a common practice within the world of professional fighting.
“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 [over] the course of this week, I haven’t cut much weight,” he said.
He continued, “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.”
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“But I appreciate the concern. I’m completely okay, and hopefully I’ll be back soon. I apologize to my opponent,” he added.
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Smotherman was set to face Ricky Turcios on Saturday, Jan. 24, but the UFC canceled the bout.
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