Nolan KOs Moicano in Round 3 after stand-up resets UFC Vegas 123 main event
Referee Dan Miragliotta's decision to stand the fighters up while Moicano held a dominant back position in Round 2 drew immediate criticism — then Nolan finished the fight.
Tom Nolan knocked out Renato Moicano by TKO at 1:28 of the third round at UFC Vegas 123 on Halloween night in Las Vegas — but the finish was immediately overshadowed by what happened in the second round, when referee Dan Miragliotta stood the fighters up while Moicano held Nolan's back in a dominant position, drawing widespread criticism from fighters and fans alike.
The stand-up, which appeared to rescue Nolan from a dangerous situation, reset the fight and changed its trajectory. Nolan went on to reverse position in the third round and land the heavy ground-and-pound — punches and elbows — that ended the contest, according to multiple outlets covering the event.
Ref won that one— Post-fight reaction, as characterised by MMA Fighting's live coverage
Nolan, who improved to 12-1 overall and 6-1 in the UFC with a six-fight winning streak, issued a statement following the win, according to Heavy. Moicano fell to 21-8-1 with the loss.
The fight had been framed as a generational test. Moicano, 37, had demanded money fights after submitting Chris Duncan in April and was twice left without a bout when Brian Ortega withdrew. He ultimately accepted the Nolan headliner, telling CBS Sports he gave the 26-year-old a full camp out of respect: 'It's one thing to beat him on one week's notice. I gave him that chance to be better prepared for this fight.' Nolan, for his part, had studied Moicano's grappling style closely and told CBS Sports before the fight that he wanted to use Moicano's own signature ground-and-pound against him — which is precisely how the finish unfolded.
In the co-main event, Jacobe Smith defeated Randy Brown by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 30-26. Smith had stepped in on short notice after original opponent Carlos Leal withdrew with an injury, according to Wikipedia.
The night's most definitive farewell came on the preliminary card, where Julian Erosa — a long-time UFC featherweight — knocked out Jeong Yeong Lee at 1:31 of the first round and then announced his retirement, ending his UFC career on a winning note despite entering as the underdog, according to Heavy.
The UFC awarded Tom Nolan the sole Performance of the Night bonus of $100,000. Other finishes on the card received $25,000 bonuses, according to Wikipedia.
The card had several late changes. A featherweight bout between Francis Marshall and Gastón Bolaños was rerouted when Bolaños withdrew with a training-camp eye laceration; Dakota Hope replaced him. Marshall then weighed in two pounds over the featherweight limit, was fined 20 percent of his purse — which went to Hope — and the bout proceeded at catchweight. Marshall lost via split decision. A scheduled middleweight bout between Azamat Bekoev and Andre Petroski was removed entirely after Bekoev suffered a medical emergency; Petroski was rescheduled for the following week's event, according to Wikipedia.
Why it matters — The Miragliotta stand-up reignites a recurring debate in MMA about referee discretion and whether officiating decisions — not just fighter performance — can determine outcomes at the sport's highest level.
⚠ Not yet confirmed
- Nolan issued a formal statement following the win
- Referee Dan Miragliotta stood the fighters up in Round 2 while Moicano held Nolan's back in a dominant position, drawing widespread criticism
Reported by yahoo.com, cbssports.com, combatpress.com, mmafighting.com, fightbookmma.com, mmajunkie.usatoday.com, en.wikipedia.org
