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Brett OkamotoJan 23, 2026, 12:30 PM ET
- Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
LAS VEGAS -- UFC bantamweight Cameron Smotherman collapsed moments after making weight Friday.
Smotherman (12-6) had been scheduled to face Ricky Turcios at UFC 324 on Saturday inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas but the fight was canceled after his collapse. Smotherman successfully weighed in at 135.5 pounds Friday morning but then fell to the floor after taking several steps away from the scale. He was eventually carried off the platform at T-Mobile Arena and tended to by physicians. Turcios also made weight.
Weight cutting is a standard practice in the UFC and MMA in general. It is common for athletes to cut more than 10% of body weight in the days leading up to a weigh-in before rehydrating ahead of the competition.
The UFC has not announced any update on Smotherman. He is 1-2 in three appearances in the UFC.
Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo missed weight by 2.5 pounds for a high-profile matchup against Umar Nurmagomedov on Saturday's card. Flyweight Alex Perez also missed by 2.5 pounds for a 125-pound contest against Charles Johnson. Figueiredo and Perez were both fined 25% of their purse, but the bouts will continue as scheduled.
