Michael Bisping downplayed weight cuts moments before dramatic UFC 324 weigh-in scare

Michael Bisping found himself in a tricky situation during a frightening incident at the UFC 324 weigh-ins.

Bisping was on the TNT Sports live stream, discussing Alex Perez coming in 2.5lb over the flyweight limit, when something alarming happened right behind him.

The former middleweight champion’s particularly harsh comments immediately backfired. Bantamweight Cameron Smotherman managed to make weight, but suffered a frightening collapse on stage as he walked away from the scales, face-planting sickeningly.

Michael Bisping’s comments on UFC 324 weight miss were timed awfully

Bisping was serving as an analyst on the UFC 324 weigh-in show when Perez missed weight. He said that he had little sympathy for fighters who came in heavy, arguing that making weight is just as much a part of their job as fighting itself.

“I never have any sympathy for these guys. You’ve got one job, show up on weight, in shape, that’s it,” the Briton declared.

Adam Catterall then added that it is “part of the job”, and as important to the contract as the fight itself, to which Bisping replied: “You’re a professional fighter, it’s not hard is it, you have months.”

But as he spoke those words, Smotherman collapsed face-first onto the stage behind him and required immediate medical attention. The UFC later cancelled his fight against Ricky Turcios.

Michael Bisping speaks from experience about difficult cuts

What did not spread online was Bisping explaining how demanding weight cuts can be. He went through plenty himself during his career and understands just how tough they are at the elite level.

He shared: “These weight cuts fighters go through, I hear about it now and they’re pushing it more and more. I was speaking to a few people this week and they’re like ‘yeah, I’ve got 8 kilos, 9 kilos, some of them are 10 kilos [17.6lb-22lb]’.

“When I was really cutting weight and pushing it, if I showed up at the venue at 15lb [over], which is 7 kilos, that was at the start of fight week. Then you flush your body with all the distilled water and eliminate carbohydrates.

“I would start at about 194lb and have to be 185 or even 186lb. That’s 9lb and I’m hearing guys talking to me this week going, ‘I’ve got 14 or 15lb, easy work’. I’m like ‘that’s an insane amount to cut’. I don’t know how much he cut but obviously it was a lot.

“I’ve walked out on the scale and you’re all over the place and you are literally on the verge of death. You have dehydrated yourself and forced so much fluid out of your body that it’s very dangerous and this is what you see.”