Referee Dan Miragliotta Accused of Giving Tom Nolan 'Great Advantage' in Win Over Renato Moicano
John McCarthy breaks down why Dan Miragliotta's controversial standing reset completely flipped the momentum and cost Renato Moicano at UFC Vegas 123.
UFC Vegas 123 this past weekend turned out to be a highly controversial advantage for Tom Nolan. He extended his winning streak to six after securing a third-round TKO victory over Renato Moicano in the main event.
Before referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in to reset the fight in round two, the Brazilian had been dominating the entire matchup. Moicano controlled the first round with an early takedown and a tight body triangle. Nolan tried to push the action with his striking in the second round, but the former No. 8-ranked lightweight successfully grounded him again.
After Moicano locked Nolan down and began hunting for a rear-naked choke, Miragliotta executed the controversial standing reset without any prior warning. The weekend is over, but the MMA community is still slamming Miragliotta for his decision.
Even John McCarthy, the legendary referee who helped write MMA’s Unified Rules, has given his verdict, firmly taking Moicano’s side.
John McCarthy Says Dan Miragliotta Took Away Renato Moicano's Earned Position
McCarthy discussed the stand-up on Josh Thomson's "Weighing In" podcast on Monday. He said Miragliotta likely wanted more action after a long stretch on the mat with no finish. He argued that Moicano had earned the dominant position through hard work, was actively hunting a finish, and held the absolute right to stay there.
"It's completely unfair to one fighter — Moicano," McCarthy said. "Moicano earned that position. He worked for that position."
To back up his claim, McCarthy stated that he counted 20 to 25 strikes thrown by Moicano in the final minute leading right up to the restart. "He's working toward a finish," he stressed.
McCarthy explained that a referee's job is not to manufacture action. While standing fighters up makes sense if the grappler becomes completely inactive, Moicano's non-stop strikes proved he was constantly pushing for the finish.
“We don't give advantages to one fighter over another," McCarthy added. "He gave a great advantage to Tom Nolan, and took an advantage away from Moicano."
Amid the controversy, Nolan stated that he never asked for a restart. He clarified that he was only speaking to the referee during the grapple to point out what he believed were illegal strikes to the back of his head.
Criticism spread far beyond McCarthy, as prominent figures like Joe Rogan, Daniel Cormier, and Henry Cejudo all publicly questioned Miragliotta’s controversial decision. Following the match, Nolan’s professional MMA record improved to 12-1, while Moicano dropped to 21-8-1. The defeat also dropped Moicano six spots to No. 14, marking the biggest rankings slide of his career.
