Beaten UFC fan favourite reacts to referee’s controversial mid-fight call

Renato Moicano, a well-known UFC fighter, expressed his frustration with a controversial referee's decision during his recent loss to Tom Nolan. After suffering a third-round TKO in Las Vegas, Moicano was left baffled by the referee's decision to stand the fight up mid-fight. "I was a little frustrated with the referee standing the fight up," Moicano told MMA Fighting.

"I was a little frustrated, and frustration is a bad thing. But that’s it, it’s over. What can I do? There’s nothing I can do about it." Moicano admitted that he was surprised by the ruling, as he had never seen or heard of a referee standing a fighter up from mount or back before. He continued, "I thought, ‘Man, what can I do?’

I thought about complaining, but then I told myself: ‘Listen, focus on the fight.’ I clearly lost my focus, and that's why I lost." Despite his disappointment, Moicano vowed not to file an official appeal or request that Dan Miragliotta officiate his future bouts. He expressed his disapproval of the decision, saying, "I want him to go f*** himself, him and everyone else," but ultimately, he placed the blame on himself.

"The next person I need to blame is myself; I should have finished that guy, that’s the truth. I’m better than that guy, but he defended well, he had good defence," Moicano said. The victory for Nolan marks his sixth straight win, while Moicano is currently on a six-fight losing streak, including a title-fight loss to Islam Makhachev.