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The referee saved him and Nolan made it count: he knocks out Moicano after a controversial stand-up… and Moicano tells the ref where to go

Moicano had Nolan's back hunting the choke when Dan Miragliotta stood them up. Minutes later, the Australian knocked him out. UFC Vegas 123 results and the controversy that won't go away.

By Equipo La Jaula Props · November 2, 2026 · 1 min read

Photos: Show Me The Money, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons, cropped)

Halloween night in Las Vegas ended like a horror movie for Renato Moicano. Tom Nolan beat him by TKO at 1:28 of the third round in the UFC Vegas 123 main event, but what everyone is talking about is what happened a round earlier.

The stand-up that changed everything

Moicano dominated the first two rounds from Nolan's back, with a body triangle, hunting the rear-naked choke, his specialty. Late in round two, referee Dan Miragliotta stood them up, citing a lack of action. Right after the restart, Nolan landed a knee that dropped Moicano and punished him on the ground; the Brazilian survived to the bell, but in round three Nolan finished the job with elbows and punches.

Nolan, now 12-1 with six straight UFC wins, distanced himself from it: "I had nothing to do with the ref standing it up." He acknowledged the crowd didn't love the call.

Moicano, between self-criticism and insults

He congratulated his opponent on X: "Congrats Tom Nolan, you're a beast!" And admitted: "I had a terrible performance."
He said Miragliotta never warned him he could stand them up, and sent him an unfiltered message: to "go f—k himself".
Still, he won't appeal the result with the Nevada State Athletic Commission: "The next person I need to blame is myself. I should have finished that guy."
He was taken to hospital for precautionary head and face scans. He's fine and says retirement isn't on the table.

Key results

Tom Nolan def. Renato Moicano by TKO (elbows and punches), R3, 1:28.
Jacobe Smith def. Randy Brown by unanimous decision and stays unbeaten (14-0).
Luana Santos def. Yana Santos by unanimous decision.
Cody Durden def. Ode Osbourne by unanimous decision (29-28 on all three cards).
Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani def. Farman Hasanov by third-round TKO, after a huge cut over Hasanov's eye.
Julian Erosa went out a winner: he knocked out JeongYeong Lee in the first round (1:31) in the last fight of his career.

The La Jaula take

We got the pick wrong, and the referee's stand-up had a lot to do with it

We said it in the preview: Moicano by submission in the first three rounds, and if it went longer, the edge to Nolan. For almost two rounds it went to plan: Moicano had the back and the body triangle, exactly the position he's won so many fights from. What we didn't foresee was the referee taking him out of it.

The call is debatable. A fighter with the back taken hunting a submission is working, even without landing much. But there's an uncomfortable reading for Moicano too: he had almost ten minutes in that position and didn't lock the choke. He admits it himself, and at the elite level those chances don't come back.

Nolan, meanwhile, has six straight wins and won his first main event. He's no longer a prospect: he's a top-10 lightweight name.

Our verdict:Nolan enters the top-10 conversation. Moicano, with his contract about to expire, is fighting for his UFC future in his next bout.

Frequently asked questions

Who won Moicano vs. Nolan?

Tom Nolan, by TKO (elbows and punches) at 1:28 of the third round at UFC Vegas 123 on October 31, 2026.

What happened with the referee in Moicano vs. Nolan?

Late in round two, with Moicano on Nolan's back, referee Dan Miragliotta stood them up for lack of action. After the restart, Nolan dropped Moicano with a knee and went on to win in round three.

Will Moicano appeal the result?

No. He said he won't file an appeal with the Nevada State Athletic Commission and that the blame is his for not finishing the fight.

How is Moicano doing?

He went to hospital for precautionary head and face scans. He said he's fine and that retirement isn't on the table.

What is Tom Nolan's record?

12-1, with six straight UFC lightweight wins.

Did Julian Erosa retire?

Yes, with a win: he knocked out JeongYeong Lee in the first round at UFC Vegas 123, in the last fight of his career.

Sources