Tom Nolan Stops Renato Moicano at UFC Vegas 123 Amid Referee Controversy

Tom Nolan earned the biggest victory of his career on Saturday, extending his winning streak to six with a third-round knockout over longtime contender Renato Moicano in the main event of UFC Vegas 123. However, the finish was heavily overshadowed by a controversial officiating decision by referee Dan Miragliotta.

The turning point occurred near the end of Round 2. Moicano was dominating the action from back control on the mat when Miragliotta intervened to call for a reset, forcing Moicano to relinquish his position and stand back up. Shortly after the restart, Nolan connected with a damaging knee that permanently shifted the momentum of the bout.

Nolan capitalized on the opening, eventually putting away an exhausted Moicano with ground strikes in the third round. The referee's decision to separate the fighters drew immediate backlash from fellow athletes on social media, with UFC lightweight Terrance McKinney writing on Twitter, “He capitalized, but the ref won that one,” and adding, “Crazy work standing that up.”