Even a move up in weight class could not lift Filipino champion CJ de Tomas to the win column in the UFC, as he surrendered via second round submission to Alex Perez, Sunday morning in the undercard of UFC Fight Night 123 held in SaveMart Center in Fresno, California.
The stoppage came via a D’arch choke with a minute and 54 seconds into the second round.
The loss dropped the former URCC Flyweight Champion to an 8-2 slate. His first loss in the biggest fight league in the world came last June 17, suffering a unanimous decision loss to Japanese fighter Naoki Inoue.
De Tomas, 21, started the contest off on the right foot, outgunning Perez (19-4) on the standup. However, as De Tomas went for a shot, his opponent was able to grab his neck and attempt a couple of chokes. De Tomas was able to fight it off, but Perez took him down to close out the round.
Having gotten a feel of what De Tomas could bring, the American fighter — the top-ranked flyweight in California — was able to duck a wild hook by the Filipino and connect on a single leg take down. After getting into side control, Perez locked the second-generation Filipino fighter with a tight D’arce choke to secure the tap-out.
With this, De Tomas — who most likely will get a third chance with the UFC — needs to refocus, as his back is now against the wall in the big league. Another loss will result in him being cut by UFC.
