Longo Questions UFC Influence On Controversial Standup

Veteran coach Ray Longo has questioned whether the UFC influenced referee Dan Miragliotta's widely criticized standup during the main event of UFC Vegas 123, where Tom Nolan finished Renato Moicano after Miragliotta separated the fighters while Moicano was attacking from back control.

Miragliotta's decision to stand the fighters up in the second round sparked immediate backlash, with the UFC broadcast team calling it a referee error live on air. Nolan went on to rock Moicano with a knee moments after the standup and finished the fight in the third round, earning his sixth straight win and a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus.

Longo Suggests Pressure From Top

Speaking on the Anik & Florian Podcast, Longo said he believes outside forces may have played a role in the call. "I want to know if Dan, there was anything from the top that led him to do that," he said, per MMA Fighting. "I don't think he's deciding to do that on his own, that's how bad it was." Longo pointed to the UFC's known preference for action-heavy fighting styles, noting that the promotion has made its expectations clear on Dana White's Contender Series. "If you don't fight a certain fight, you're not getting in that organization," he said.

Longo also took issue with Nolan's post-fight comments defending the result, saying the Australian failed to acknowledge the officiating assist. "You got gifted something, you couldn't get out," Longo said. "Your answer was to elbow the thigh." The coach added that the controversy spoiled his view of a fighter he had previously admired.

Nolan later told reporters he believed the outcome would have been the same even without the standup. The UFC has not commented on Miragliotta's decision.

Photo by EDGARD BORTOLETTO on Unsplash

Original reporting:

• mmafighting.com — Morning Report | Coach questions if UFC influenced controversial referee standup: ‘If you don’t fight a certain fight, you’re not getting in’ | MMA Fighting