Veteran MMA referee John McCarthy has criticized Dan Miragliotta for his controversial intervention during the UFC Vegas 123 main event between Renato Moicano and Tom Nolan, arguing that the decision unfairly benefited the Australian fighter.
“Big Train” secured a third-round TKO victory over Moicano on October 31, but the finish was overshadowed by Miragliotta’s decision to stand the fighters up in the second round. Moicano had secured back control with a body triangle and was working toward a potential submission when the referee unexpectedly separated the pair.
The Brazilian had already enjoyed significant grappling success in the opening round, repeatedly taking Nolan’s back. However, the stand-up changed the momentum of the contest, with Nolan hurting “Money” shortly afterward before eventually securing the stoppage.
The decision drew widespread criticism from the UFC broadcast team, fighters, and fans. McCarthy, one of the most respected referees in MMA history, has now explained why he believes the intervention was unjustified.
Big John McCarthy Explains Why Dan Miragliotta’s Call Was Wrong
Speaking on the Weighing In podcast, McCarthy argued that Moicano had earned the dominant position through his skill and should have been allowed to continue working toward a finish.
I love Dan Miragliotta. He’s a great guy, and I know that he’s only trying to do what he believes is right, but the fact of the matter is, there are times within MMA where we will tell a fighter, ‘Hey, if you want to stay there, improve your position,’” McCarthy said.
The longtime official explained that back control is among the most advantageous positions in MMA, giving the fighter on top multiple opportunities to finish while limiting the opponent’s offensive options.
McCarthy also rejected the idea that Moicano was simply stalling. He pointed out that the Brazilian had been throwing strikes and actively searching for submission opportunities before Miragliotta intervened.
If Moicano is sitting there, and he takes Nolan’s back and he gets in a seatbelt position, he’s got the figure-four body lock, and he puts his arms in the seatbelt position, and he’s now holding Nolan tight to him, and there’s nothing going on other than the seatbelt … your job is to always try to work toward finishing the fight,” McCarthy said.
He added that a referee should only stand up a fight when the fighter controlling the action is genuinely inactive, not simply because a dominant position has failed to produce an immediate finish.
McCarthy believes Miragliotta’s decision took away an advantage Moicano had worked hard to establish and gave Nolan an opportunity he otherwise might not have had.
You cannot make a bad fight good, but you can definitely make a good fight bad,” McCarthy said.
🚨 MOICANO ROBBED?! BIG JOHN BREAKS DOWN THE CONTROVERSIAL REFEREE CALL! | McCARTHY MONDAY
Although McCarthy acknowledged Miragliotta’s reputation as a respected official, he stressed that referees must prioritize fairness over trying to generate more action.
