Cameron Smotherman switched things up, trained with Diego Lopes for second UFC bout

USA Today

03-05-2025

Cameron Smotherman switched things up, trained with Diego Lopes for second UFC bout
Cameron Smotherman has traveled outside of his comfort zone – and outside of the country – ahead of his UFC on ESPN 67 bout Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.
For the entirety of his career, Smotherman (12-4 MMA, 1-0 UFC) had trained in Texas. Initially training under the late Saul Soliz, Smotherman continued with his Metro Fight Club peers, including Adrian Yanez and others. However, ahead of his second UFC training camp, Smotherman switched things up and moved to Mexico to train with Diego Lopes.
"When Diego fought at UFC 300 against Sodiq, they had to fly over there," Smotherman recently told MMA Junkie. "I felt like it was really good fit. I thought it was a lot of positive energy I needed that time in my life. Me and Diego have stayed in touch ever since. We were talking almost every day, three or four times a week. Whenever I found out he got the title fight, I was like, 'I'm nothing like Volkanovski, but I at least want to be in the room and say I helped in some way. A few days after that, I ended up getting a fight, so it was perfect timing."
Smotherman helped Lopes with his preparation for his UFC 314 title challenge vs. Alexander Volkanovski and also got work with rising prospect Austin Bashi – all under the watchful eye of coach Francisco Grasso.
"I would definitely say it gives me some more confidence. Knowing the level and knowing what it takes and seeing it first hand. I can compare myself to it with first-hand experience. I would definitely say that really since I've gotten in my confidence has just been growing. I'm not questioning myself or my decisions like I used to. ... It's very different. It's a brand new system. I've been with the same team my entire career from amateur to pro. Sometimes, it's different and it makes me use my brain differently. But I feel like at this point in my life, that really helps and I appreciate it."
While some things change, other stay the same. His pal Yanez will still be in his corner Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena as he takes on Canada's Serhiy Sidey (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in a bantamweight prelim. Smotherman will look to remain unbeaten in the UFC following a short-notice, betting upset victory over Jake Hadley.
Even with that big win, Smotherman enters the fight with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove.
"I don't think I have any respect from the public still," Smotherman said. "It seems to me that everyone is just attributing it to that he fought a bad fight and lost to a scrub. I still have a lot to prove. But as far as my life, this is actually the one good thing about losing and having a hard path to get here. I'm still touching grass. I know who's real and who's not. I know who believes in me and who doesn't. It's easy to fall into the 100 DMs or 1000 DMs that you get. Everyone wants to hang out with you when you're winning but I remember what it's like to lose and trying to sell tickets when nobody comes."