Peralta was initially awarded a technical knockout victory after Semerzier was floored by what appeared to be a punch. However, upon replay, it became clear that the knockdown was actually the result of an accidental head-butt. The incidental clash did not knock out Semerzier, and the game WEC veteran dug for an ankle pick while Peralta swarmed his foe. Referee John McCarthy stopped the competitive bout at 1:54 of the third round.
Peralta won eight straight starts prior to his bout with Semerzier. After outpointing Dream featherweight champ Hiroyuki Takaya at Strikeforce “Diaz vs. Daley,” Peralta debuted with the UFC in September. The Californian was successful in his inaugural Octagon appearance at UFC Fight Night 25, outpointing Mike Lullo in a unanimous verdict.
A four-time WEC veteran, Semerzier impressed in his first UFC outing, dominating Alex Caceres en route to a first-round submission win. The victory snapped a three-fight skid and marked the 31-year-old’s first win since earning Sherdog.com’s 2009 “Upset of the Year” over Wagnney Fabiano at WEC 43.