Cejudo and Burns slam referee after controversial stand-up costs Moicano at UFC Vegas 123

Referee Dan Miragliotta’s decision to restart Renato Moicano and Tom Nolan on their feet during the second round of their lightweight main event at UFC Vegas 123 has ignited a fierce debate over officiating standards. Moicano had Nolan’s back secured with a body triangle, was landing strikes, and was actively hunting a rear-naked choke when Miragliotta intervened — a call that proved decisive as Nolan rallied to stop Moicano with ground strikes at 1:28 of the third round.

Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo was among the first to voice his frustration, taking to X to question whether referees face any consequences for calls of this nature. “When are referees going to be held accountable for decisions like this?” Cejudo wrote.

Brazilian welterweight Gilbert Burns was equally blunt in his reaction. “Damn referee! My God, there’s no way you could have done that!” Burns posted, reflecting the disbelief shared by many watching the main event unfold.

Middleweight contender Caio Borralho framed the controversy around a broader principle — that standing fighters up effectively penalises the athlete who has earned a dominant position. “So now we reward a guy for not knowing how to get out of back control and we just stand them up? That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in the UFC,” Borralho wrote.

Moicano had largely controlled the opening two rounds through his grappling, and the back-control position he held at the time of the stand-up represented one of the most dominant situations in MMA. After the restart, Nolan found his footing, hurt Moicano late in the second round, and closed the fight out in the third to claim a significant upset victory.

The incident has renewed calls from fighters and analysts for greater transparency and accountability in MMA officiating, with the stand-up widely viewed as a turning point that altered the trajectory of the fight.