Issue 040
August 2008
THE FACTS
Name: ‘Big’ Dan Miragliotta
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 300lb
Resume: UFC, EliteXC, IFL, Cage Fury Fighting Championships, Ring of Combat and many more
Not many referees achieve the same level of notoriety that fighters do. Of course everyone knows John McCarthy and Herb Dean, but in New Jersey there’s no bigger name when it comes to officiating then ‘Big’ Dan Miragliotta.
Big Dan stands six feet four inches tall and weighs in at around 300lb. He’s the former owner and operator of the Bayside Academy of Mixed Martial Arts (BAMMA) and the there is a good chance that any fighter who has entered a cage in Atlantic City in the last decade has fought under his direct supervision.
Miragliotta recently made two highly talked-about calls in main event fights for both the UFC and EliteXC. Fighters Only sat down with for a little insight into the world of a top MMA referee.
In your eyes, what is the responsibility of an MMA ref?
The safety of the fighters. That’s the way I look at it. I got to make sure no one’s getting hurt, because even though it’s a combative sport, it’s still a sport and our job is to be there when it needs to be stopped.
When do you know it’s time to stop a fight? What kind of signs do you look for?
Most of the time you’re looking at fighters being hit. You look in his eyes and you can usually see in his face when he’s done or when he starts to look unconscious during a choke. I’ll warn the guys and tell them, ‘Protect yourself!’ and if they don’ protect themselves intelligently, you stop it. I had a corner curse me out one time and then the fighter himself came over afterward and said, ‘Thanks a lot. You saved my ass’.
The Internet has been flooded with fans calling for your head after stopping both the Slice/Thompson and Werdum/Vera fights just days apart from one another. Have you ever received this much flak or attention for a decision you’ve made in the cage before?
No, this is ridiculous. The feedback from [the UFC and New Jersey State Athletic Commission] has been positive. Of course you care what the fans think, everybody has their own opinion, but the decision I made was the right decision – just not the most popular one. A lot of fans wanted to see Kimbo lose and they were unhappy to see him come back and that I stopped it, but [Thompson’s] eyes were dazed and his hands were down.
[As for Vera], there was a no question – he was mounted by a world-class jiu-jitsu fighter, and a good-sized one. Werdum started unloading punches and I warned him twice to protect himself – never once did I ask if he was OK – he didn’t try to escape the mount and he wasn’t protecting himself, so then I was willing to stop the fight from unanswered blows.
What’s the first thing you normally say to a guy just waking up from being KO’d?
That I didn’t knock him out. They always look at you like they want to attack you, and you’re like, ‘Hey buddy, take it easy,’ because they don’t know what happened and they’re looking up at you.
After overseeing so many fights, are there any rules you would change?
I think elbows on the ground can definitely make or break a fight. Promoters are paying such heavy insurance for fighters and they can’t all be going to the hospital and getting stitched up after every event. One elbow from Jim Miller ended his fight with Chris Liguori at Ring of Combat. I think they should be for championship fights only.
You’re a big guy, but have you ever been hesitant to get in between two fighters like a James Thompson or Kimbo Slice?
With Kimbo Slice and Ray Mercer, I went to stop the fight and Kimbo didn’t want to let go. I guess they told him he was getting a $20,000 bonus for a knockout or submission, so he didn’t want to give it up. So, I kind of stuffed his face into the mat and then when he got up Mercer tried to take another shot at Kimbo, so I shoved Mercer down, but then Kevin Mulhall (fellow referee) got in the cage and helped me take control of the situation.
Who do you think are some of the better refs in the sport – on or off the television?
I got to say Kevin Mullhall, I think if he was my size we’d both be in the UFC. I watch a lot of guys referee and I guess we all make mistakes but he doesn’t make a lot of them. I’m also a fan of Herb Dean and Steve Mazzagatti. I think those guys do a great job too.
What does it take to be a good referee?
If you haven’t fought, trained or grappled then you really shouldn’t be in there. It’s not about putting on a black shirt and seeing yourself on television. If you haven’t been in an armbar or leglock or applied on yourself – you can’t understand the full mechanics of it and prevent a limb from breaking. That’s why there’s times you’ll see myself or Kevin stop a fight before a guy even fully taps out, because we can see the tap coming or know just how close the arm is to breaking.
What’s the best part about your job?
Just seeing the fighters’ faces when they win, so excited and happy, especially when it’s for a belt or they’re avenging a loss against someone who beat them. I’ve been involved in the sport since I was 14 and since my school closed down three years ago, refereeing is keeping me busy.
Is there anything you’d like to say to the fans or fighters who’ve been criticising you for the way you do your job?
The opinions of people don’t bother me too much, but people said those two fights were fixed, that I got paid and someone saw me driving in a new sports car. No-one is going to like the decisions made on every fight, that’s just the way it’s going to be, but to claim that ‘Gary Shaw’ or whoever paid me to fix the fights… That’s just bullshit – you can have an opinion on the fight but don’t try to challenge my credibility.
