Big John McCarthy calls Moicano stand-up unfair; Jon Anik relays Joe Rogan's text

Veteran referee "Big" John McCarthy said Monday that Dan Miragliotta was wrong to stand up Renato Moicano while he held Tom Nolan's back. Nolan rallied to win their October 31 main event at UFC Vegas 123 by TKO. "That's not your job," McCarthy said on the Weighing In podcast.

UFC commentator Jon Anik says Joe Rogan objected as well. On a podcast with his brother, Anik said Rogan wrote to him and Daniel Cormier: "It's not a sport if refs can do that." MMA Insight reported the remarks on Monday. That is Anik's account of a private text, and we found no public comment from Rogan himself.

The call

Moicano controlled round 1 from Nolan's back, SB Nation reported. Late in round 2 he was back there with a body triangle and an arm around Nolan's neck, Heavy reported. That's when Miragliotta stood them up.

Nolan hurt Moicano within moments and nearly finished him before the bell. He won by TKO at 1:28 of round 3, with punches and elbows.

McCarthy called Miragliotta "a great guy," but said he has "never taken someone out of back control." A stand-up belongs only when "the person who is in control of the fight is the one who is stalling the fight," he said. Doing it to Moicano, he said, meant "you're being completely unfair to one fighter, because he is doing things."

Moicano won't appeal

In comments published Sunday, Moicano told MMA Fighting he won't appeal to the Nevada commission. "It was the wrong decision, but it's not going to change anything," he said. Of Miragliotta, he said: "I want him to go f*ck himself, him and everyone else." He also said he doesn't remember a warning, and put the loss on himself: "I should have finished that guy."

On The Ariel Helwani Show, he said he thinks the booing played a part in the call. McCarthy doubts it.

Nolan said at his post-fight press conference that he was telling the referee about shots to the back of his head. "I wasn't looking for a standup," he said. He thinks the fight was heading his way regardless.

On the UFC's post-show, Din Thomas wasn't sure the call changed the outcome, but said "the standup is questionable." Cormier called it "a referee error."

What the rules say

Nevada adopts the Association of Boxing Commissions' Unified Rules, which give a referee this power. The referee must stand up or break the fighters when neither shows "real, significant and/or sustained effort" to finish. Holding a superior position isn't enough on its own, the rules add, and the section doesn't mention a warning. An older Nevada explainer does call for one, but we couldn't confirm it still applies.

So the argument is whether Moicano was stalling. Our fight page shows 7:17 of control for him, with one submission attempt and 9 of 12 significant strikes landed all fight. Significant strikes leave out lighter shots, so McCarthy's estimate of 20 to 25 strikes in the last minute before the stand-up may still hold.

We think McCarthy is right. The rule's test is effort to finish, not damage. If his count is close, that's effort, and a body triangle alone wouldn't be. The referee's best defence is the output: 12 significant strikes thrown all fight, and Moicano's own X post saying "I couldn't do any damage."

What comes next

We found no hearing scheduled and no comment from Miragliotta, the Nevada commission or the UFC. Nevada changes a result only in narrow cases, one being a referee misreading the rules, and Moicano isn't asking.

Nolan, 12-1, has won six straight in the UFC. He opened as the favourite at −125 but closed at +112, about 45%, against Moicano's 55%. He floated Mateusz Gamrot next, but nothing is booked.

Moicano, 21-8-1, has lost three of his last four and has two fights left on his contract, according to Uncrowned. He has no timetable for a return and is working on his Money Moicano MMA event in São Paulo on December 5.

Anik expects more from Rogan: "Just wait until [Rogan] cracks a mic on the Joe Rogan Experience and talks about this."