Dana White isn’t rushing to condemn Dan Miragliotta.
The veteran referee created a firestorm at UFC Halloween last weekend (Sat., Oct. 31, 2026) when he stood Renato Moicano and Tom Nolan up from the ground during their Lightweight main event inside Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Moicano had Nolan’s back with a body triangle locked in during the second round and was searching for a rear-naked choke. Despite Moicano holding one of the most dominant positions in mixed martial arts (MMA), Miragliotta
stopped the action and ordered both fighters back to their feet.
Nolan immediately capitalized, badly hurting Moicano before finishing him via technical knockout in the third round (watch highlights).
The UFC broadcast team labeled Miragliotta’s decision a “referee error,” while fighters and fans overwhelmingly criticized the controversial stand-up. White, however, isn’t quite sure where he stands.
“I knew this was coming,” White told reporters today. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know what to think. We actually haven’t talked about it here [at UFC headquarters] at all. We haven’t discussed it.”
When asked whether a referee should ever stand fighters up from full mount or back mount, White argued that simply controlling a dominant position may not be enough.
“I don’t think it’s about having the dominant position,” White said. “It’s: Are you doing damage, and are you trying to win the fight? Are you doing damage, and are you trying to win the fight?”
“Because if that’s what you want to do, some of these guys are so good they could take your back and just ride it out for three rounds,” White continued. “The rules are, if you’re not doing damage, advancing your position and trying to finish the fight, you get stood up.”
Moicano was visibly shocked by Miragliotta’s intervention and later said he could not recall receiving a warning beforehand. He also claimed he had never seen a fighter stood up while controlling an opponent’s back.
However, “Money” has stopped short of blaming the referee for his loss. He congratulated Nolan and admitted that although he repeatedly secured back control, he was unable to produce meaningful damage or break through the Australian’s submission defense.
“I had a terrible performance,” Moicano wrote afterward. “I was well-trained, I managed to get back control, but I couldn’t do any damage. He was defending well.”
Moicano will not appeal the result or pursue disciplinary action against Miragliotta.
For complete UFC Halloween results, coverage and highlights click HERE.
