Cameron Smotherman is set to return to action after one of the more alarming weigh-in incidents in recent UFC memory. At UFC 324, the promotion’s first Paramount+ event, Smotherman successfully made weight at 135.5 pounds for his scheduled bantamweight bout against Ricky Turcios, but collapsed face-first to the ground while exiting the stage. The moment quickly went viral online. His fight was subsequently canceled. Now, the Texas native has a new date and a new opponent.

According to the latest update, Smotherman will face former flyweight title challenger Kai Asakura at UFC Fight Night 277, which is headlined by former 125 lbs champ Deiveson Figueiredo vs Song Yadong in a bantamweight bout. For the fight, the Japanese sensation will be making his UFC debut at bantamweight.

“Kai Asakura moves back up to bantamweight and will take on Cameron Smotherman at #UFCMacau on May 30th,” Combat Sports Today shared on X.

Regarding Kai Asakura’s run, the UFC expected him to put on a competitive performance against former champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 310 in his debut. However, the Brazilian legend dominated the former Rizin bantamweight champ, retaining the belt via a rare second-round naked choke submission. Following that monumental title fight defeat, Asakura faced Tim Elliott at UFC 319, but again suffered another submission loss at the hands of the 39-year-old veteran.

For Smotherman, the Texas native is also going through a rough patch in his career. Currently, the 28-year-old is on a two-fight losing streak against Serhiy Sidey (UFC Des Moines) and Ricky Simon (UFC Atlanta). That said, ‘The Baby Faced Killa’ now has the opportunity to get back in the win column by defeating a former title challenger, though there are definitely some concerns.

Talking about his fainting at the UFC 324 weigh-ins, Smotherman revealed that he’s not sure why he collapsed. But it’s easy to surmise the weight cut must have been the cause. Yet, the 135 lbs prospect clarified that this wasn’t the case. And that’s why all eyes will be on Smotherman ahead of the Macau clash, especially during the weigh-ins to see whether he faces any weight-related drama.

On the other hand, Asakura isn’t a stranger to bantamweight, having defeated former Bellator kingpin Juan Archuleta at Rizin 45 to win the 134 lbs title, which is one pound less than UFC’s bantamweight limit -135 lbs. 

Now, as fans await this exciting clash in Macau, the card also features the return of a former heavyweight interim title challenger.

Ex-interim UFC heavyweight title challenger Sergei Pavlovich returns at UFC Macau  

In the promotion’s fifth visit to Macau, Sergei Pavlovich will return to action against Tallison Texeira. The Russian powerhouse built his reputation by knocking out opponents cold. After starching six opponents, Pavlovich got the opportunity to face reigning heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall for the interim championship at UFC 295. However, he suffered a knockout loss in front of Aspinall’s home crowd.

Following that defeat, Pavlovich faced another setback against Alexander Volkov, and for a moment, it felt like the Russian’s career was heading south. But the Orlovsky native found a resurgence, going on to defeat two frontline contenders, former UFC heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Waldo Cortes Acosta, back-to-back.

Coming to his opponent, Tallison Texeira, the Brazilian heavyweight also showed promise by defeating Justin Tafa in his UFC debut. However, he later suffered a brutal knockout loss to the promotion’s most vicious knockout machine, Derrick Lewis, at UFC Nashville last year. Shrugging off that loss, Texeira faced Tai Tuivasa at UFC 325, and although he won the bout, fans criticized both heavyweights for putting on a lackluster performance.

With both Pavlovich and Smotherman looking to build momentum, UFC Macau’s undercard has more storylines than a typical Fight Night card.