CSAC moves UFC Fresno bout up to bantamweight due to weight-cutting regulations

A UFC bout this weekend won’t be able to go on as contracted due to California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) weight-cutting regulations.

The flyweight fight at UFC Fresno between Carls John de Tomas and Alex Perez will now be contested at bantamweight, CSAC executive officer Andy Foster told MMA Fighting. This week, de Tomas was “significantly over” CSAC and UFC guidelines for weight and commission doctors felt it was too much weight to cut safely, Foster said.

UFC vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky confirmed the news to MMAjunkie.

De Tomas, 21, missed weight by six pounds, coming in at 131 for a 125-pound fight, at UFC Singapore in June. The Philippines native lost that bout to Naoki Inoue by unanimous decision. Foster said commission doctors were also concerned about Perez’s weight.

UFC Fight Night 123 will take place Saturday night at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif.

CSAC implemented a 10-point plan to combat extreme weight cutting and severe dehydration back in May. In July, the commission would not license Renan Barao at bantamweight, because he fainted cutting weight trying to make 135 pounds three years ago in California and hit his head, knocking him out of a title fight. Barao fought Aljamain Sterling at UFC 214 in a 140-pound catchweight bout.

One of the provisions of the 10-point plan is that fighters are supposed to stay within 10 percent of their licensed weight class. The UFC also asks fighters to come into fight week at 8 percent or less of the class.

Foster said he and CSAC doctors took a hard look at almost every fight on the UFC Fresno card leading up to this week — through their medicals and Skype — and once the fighters arrived in Fresno.

“We’ve been watching the fight card and seeing where people are at and seeing if they’re coming down, identifying fighters that may have a problem,” Foster said.

Three other fighters on the card raised flags with regards to weight, Foster said, but the doctors were satisfied Thursday with where they were at. De Tomas vs. Perez was the only fight altered.

Foster left the door open for doctors changing their minds, though. The situations, he said, will continue to be monitored.

“The California doctors aren't shy and they have intervened during the pre-fight already this year,” Foster said. “If they don’t like something they see, I’m sure they'll do something. Right now, I think we’re comfortable with where everyone is at.”