UFC Broadcast Team Criticizes Referee's Controversial Standup Decision

During the UFC Vegas 123 main event, referee Dan Miragliotta faced criticism from the broadcast team for an unexpected standup in the second round. Renato Moicano was in a dominant position on Tom Nolan's back, attempting submissions, when Miragliotta intervened, prompting boos from the crowd.

Following the standup, Nolan scored a knockdown and ultimately won the fight with ground and pound in the third round. UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier remarked on the post-fight show that the referee's decision cast a shadow over Nolan's performance, stating, "I just hate that something like that — I don’t care what anybody says, a referee error ultimately casts a little bit of a shadow over what was a beautiful performance by Tom Nolan."

Cormier emphasized the difficulty of achieving such a dominant position, arguing that referees should not remove fighters from advantageous positions like mount or back control. UFC commentator Laura Sanko echoed this sentiment, defending Moicano's efforts to maintain his position and asserting that it constituted active engagement in grappling.

UFC analyst Din Thomas noted the questionable nature of the standup and speculated whether Moicano might appeal to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, although he acknowledged that such decisions are typically at the referee's discretion. He concluded, "I don’t know if the outcome would have been any different without the standup, but I’ve got to say the standup is questionable."