Kenny Florian has seen the Dan Miragliotta debate, and he has a clear view of where the line should be.
Miragliotta drew heavy criticism on Saturday when he stood up Renato Moicano and Tom Nolan in the second round of the UFC Vegas 123 main event. Moicano had Nolan’s back locked in a body triangle and was hunting for a rear-naked choke, with more than seven minutes of control time by then. Miragliotta stepped in after just a few seconds without hand fighting.
Nolan hurt Moicano late in the round and finished him in the third.
The call came soon after the UFC released Michael Page and Farid Basharat, and it sparked speculation about whether the promotion played a role. Florian, who no longer works for the UFC, responded on X.
I no longer work for the UFC, and while I can’t speak to what influence they may or may not have, I personally don’t believe this was a directive from the promotion. Perhaps the referee was influenced by the crowd’s boos, or perhaps it was simply poor judgment.
Either way, a professional referee has absolutely no business trying to make a sporting contest more entertaining. A referee’s responsibility is to enforce the rules, not manufacture excitement. The moment entertainment value begins influencing officiating decisions, I believe the integrity of the sport also becomes compromised.
When a fighter is punished for successfully establishing a dominant position, we’re no longer rewarding effective MMA. We’re actually undermining it.
