Moicano loses dominant position — and the fight — after controversial standing restart

Renato Moicano had his opponent's back locked down with a body triangle — and then the referee stood them up. Stripped of a dominant ground position, Moicano (37, Brazil) went on to lose by TKO in a stunning reversal. The unusual standing restart has sparked widespread controversy in the UFC.

Moicano lost to Tom Nolan (26, Australia) by TKO at 1 minute 28 seconds of the third round in the lightweight main event of UFC Fight Night at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sunday (Korean Standard Time).

Moicano controlled the early action. From the first round, Moicano secured a takedown, moved to Nolan's back and hunted for a rear-naked choke. When Nolan stood up, Moicano clung to his back and kept attacking before dragging the fight back to the ground.

The pivotal moment came in the second round. Moicano took Nolan down again, secured back control and locked in a body triangle — wrapping both legs around the opponent's torso to restrict movement and set up submission attempts. It was a highly advantageous position.

From there, Moicano threw punches, controlled Nolan's hands and looked for a choke opportunity. Yet referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in and ordered both fighters to their feet. Moicano had held back control for roughly two and a half minutes at that point.

The momentum shifted immediately after the restart. Nolan dropped Moicano in the striking exchange and swarmed with heavy shots. Moicano survived the second round and scored a takedown in the third, but Nolan reversed position and rained down punches and elbows from the top. The referee stopped the contest.

With the fight ending in a reversal, the referee's standing restart drew immediate scrutiny from the broadcast team. Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier criticized the call as a referee error, emphasizing how difficult it is to secure an opponent's back and saying a fighter should not be stripped of such an advantageous position.

Commentator Laura Sanko also said Moicano had been actively grappling — controlling Nolan's hands and setting up a choke — at the time of the stoppage.

Moicano expressed frustration in a post-fight interview with MMA Fighting. "I was surprised when the referee told us to stand up. I don't remember receiving any warning that he would stand us up if there wasn't enough activity," Moicano said. "I've never seen a fighter stood up from mount or from back control before," Moicano added.

Moicano acknowledged that the referee's intervention broke his concentration, but said he would not file a formal complaint or seek disciplinary action. Moicano said Nolan's defense was strong and that the responsibility for not finishing the fight ultimately rested with himself.

Nolan, for his part, denied asking for the restart. Nolan said he had only informed the referee that Moicano was landing strikes to the back of his head. Nolan also said the outcome would have been the same regardless of the referee's intervention, pointing to the third-round reversal that ended the fight as proof.

The victory extended Nolan's winning streak to six, improving his record to 12 wins and one loss. Moicano fell to 21 wins, eight losses and one draw.