In the aftermath of UFC Vegas 123, headliners Tom Nolan and Renato Moicano have been overshadowed by a controversial call and what it said about the current state of the UFC.
Referee Dan Miragliotta has been widely criticized for calling for a standup with Moicano attacking Nolan from back control, which led to Nolan rocking Moicano with a knee in the closing moments of the second round before finding a finish in the third. It was the sixth straight win for Nolan, who also collected a $100,000 Performance
of the Night bonus.
Veteran coach Ray Longo discussed the situation on the Anik & Florian Podcast, questioning whether there are greater forces at work when a referee takes that kind of action.
“I want to know if Dan, there was anything from the top that led him to do that,” Longo said. “I don’t think he’s deciding to do that on his own, that’s how bad it was. I just can’t see it. And we know that the UFC, when you hold a guy against the cage, they don’t even let you on the Contender Series. I tell my guys this, you’re saying effective coaching, for the guys that go on the Contender, you know what they’re looking for. If you don’t do it, I don’t want to hear any complaining.
“Now, is that right? I don’t want to coach like that. It’s not right for me. I want to be an MMA coach and come up with a strategy to get a win, but you can’t do that anymore. If you don’t fight a certain fight, you’re not getting in that organization.”
Longo also wondered if there were more subtle ways of manipulating how Nolan and the ending of the fight are perceived. Cageside analyst Daniel Cormier criticized Miragliotta’s decision live, while also trying to shine the spotlight on Nolan, which Longo sees as a half-measure.
“Let me just say one other thing, I think the thing is we’ve got to say it every f*cking week at the start of the show,” Longo said. “You just don’t let it go. ‘DC,’ he did do a good job, everyone’s in a weird spot. They have jobs, their families are dependent on a paycheck. He did try, but to say, ‘I don’t want to make it about Moicano, make it more about Tom.’ No, f*ck that, what are you talking about? The guy got gifted something. What do you mean make it about Tom Nolan?
“I’m not attacking DC, I’m just saying he tried. I think if you want to make change, you’ve got to stay on it, that’s all I’m saying. You can’t let it go next week, everybody’s talking about something else.”
The UFC Vegas 123 main event left such a bitter taste in Longo’s mouth, he couldn’t even fully appreciate Nolan’s efforts. Nolan later defended the result, suggesting “that’s how it would have gone” even without Miragliotta’s intervention.
Longo wishes Nolan had acknowledged the officiating assist.
“It just kind of ruined the fight for me,” Longo said. “I’ve never, ever seen anything like that in my life. Then you start going down rabbit holes. Was it [Miragliotta]? Was he told to do it? The fact that they rewarded that guy with a Bonus of the Night kind of tells me that they wanted that.
“I kind of feel bad for Tom Nolan because I liked him going in. I don’t even know if I like him coming out, which is bad. I think he handled it really bad on the mic afterwards. You got gifted something, you couldn’t get out. Your answer was to elbow the thigh. Maybe eventually it would have worked, but there were things happening down there.”
TOP STORIES
Upset. Raul Rosas Jr. runs through Colby Covington in submission-only grappling match.
What. Artem Lobov accuses former friend Conor McGregor of sending people to burn his car and threaten his mother.
RIP. Dan Hooker thinks Charles Oliveira’s heavily criticized win over Max Holloway “killed” the BMF belt.
Rip. Matt Brown doesn’t understand what Dan Miragliotta was doing in UFC Vegas 123 main event.
Chicken. Carlos Prates furious at Islam Makhachev for allegedly avoiding their fight.
Wild. Greg Foster won a DWCS contract, but had to immediately go to the hospital.
Promise? Jake Paul says he’ll “hang up the gloves” if Cedric Doumbe beats him.
VIDEO STEW
Manga Mouse.
Dominick Cruz gets deep with King Green.
Fun and games.
FLAVOR IN YOUR EAR
On to the Next One. The Best Friends Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee figure out what’s next for Tom Nolan after big UFC Vegas 123 win and Saturday’s other big winners.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
Ryan Hall, obviously.
No days off.
Neat!
Michael Chandler on NXT tonight.
Sweet dreams.
Reffin’ ain’t easy.
How, indeed.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Kaan Ofli (14-4-1) vs. Joanderson Brito (20-5-1); UFC Sydney, Feb. 7
Marwan Rahiki (9-1) vs. Joo Sang Yoo (9-2); UFC Sydney, Feb. 7
FEED ME MORE
Ethical MMA.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Who expected UFC Vegas 123 to produce such controversy? All eyes will be on Tan Dan if he’s overseeing any of the fights at UFC Vegas 124 this weekend.
EXIT POLL
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