Before the first UFC card on Paramount got underway, Cameron Smotherman already made it memorable, though for the wrong reasons. Ahead of his fight on the weekend, the bantamweight passed out after weighing in, causing commotion among the fanbase and prompting a response from Dana White.
Smotherman was set to face Ricky Turcios, hoping to end his two-fight losing streak inside the octagon. The Texan suffered back-to-back decision defeats to Serhiy Sidey and Ricky Simon, but just one day before his next scheduled matchup, ‘The Babyfaced Killer’ was forced out of his bout after the unfortunate events on Friday.
While many believe Cameron Smotherman’s health issues were due to his weight cut, Dana White disagreed. The UFC CEO attempted to divert the fans’ queries, insisting that the incident could have been caused by anything.
“I mean, if doctors don’t know how it happened, how the f*** do I know how it happened, you know what I mean?” White said after Smotherman worryingly passed out on stage during his weigh-in for UFC 324. “Could be nerves. It could be a million things.”
Cameron Smotherman has since spoken out about fainting. The 28-year-old claimed that it had nothing to do with the amount of weight he cut.
Related: Fighter speaks out after collapsing on stage ahead of UFC 324
Smotherman revealed that he will be undergoing tests over the coming weeks to see what the underlying issue is that caused him to lose consciousness.
As he waits for his medical assessments, Smotherman has to nurse a gash he sustained during the weigh-ins. Once again speaking on the fall, Dana White likened the experience to that of a wedding.
“People faint at weddings, you know. I don’t know how. Listen, I’m glad all he got was some stitches on his chin.”
“I mean, he fell face-first, no hands. First thing I asked was, ‘Does he have his teeth?’ So that, for a really scary, horrible situation, it turned out about as good as it could.”
Dana White addresses Cameron Smotherman’s scary fall at the #UFC324 weigh-ins:
“Could be nerves, it could be a million things. People faint at weddings. I’m just glad all he got was stitches on his chin.” pic.twitter.com/7Z3VGgoYtn
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) January 24, 2026
