Renato Moicano has addressed the controversial referee intervention that occurred during his UFC Vegas 123 main event against Tom Nolan, insisting he was not striking the back of his opponent’s head when the fight was stopped and the fighters were stood up.
Moicano discussed the incident during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Monday, where he also expressed frustration over receiving only half of his fight purse following the loss.
The controversy occurred in the second round of Saturday’s main event, when referee Dan Miragliotta intervened while Moicano had secured a body triangle on Nolan’s back. Miragliotta stood the fighters up, despite Moicano appearing to have a dominant position.
Nolan went on to win the fight via TKO in the following round.
During the interview, Helwani asked Moicano whether he had heard Nolan complain to Miragliotta about being struck in the back of the head.
“I was not hitting him in the back of the head,” Moicano said. “I saw that he was saying that I was punching him in the back of the head, but that was not true. I was not. I was trying to find my way to punch. I was not punching him. I was like trying to punch his nose.”
Moicano maintained that the footage would support his account of the incident.
“If you see the footage, the film, I don't think there is any shot in the back of the head. I don't think that's true,” he said.
Despite the controversial nature of the stoppage, Moicano insisted he was not particularly bothered by Nolan’s comments or Miragliotta’s decision.
“No, no, I don't care,” Moicano said. “To be honest, I could not care more about, I could not care less about Tom Nolan or Dan Miragliotta. It is just life, you know. Eventually, I'm not going to be fighting anymore. Eventually, I will move on. Eventually, I'm not going to even remember the fight, you know. It is what it is.”
Moicano also made it clear that his primary motivation for competing is financial rather than personal relationships with his opponents.
“I'm not here to make friends. I'm not here to be nice to people. I'm here for money,” he said.
The Brazilian’s biggest frustration, however, was the financial impact of the defeat.
“The only thing that I get sad about it is I got only half of the paycheck, you know? That's my problem,” Moicano said.
“You put your life on the line, and sometimes because other people mistakes, you don't get paid, you know? That's my problem with that.”
