UFC Fight Night results, highlights: Tom Nolan gets TKO of Renato Moicano after controversial referee ruling

LAS VEGAS — Tom Nolan stained the mat with Renato Moicano's blood, but a controversial decision made by referee Dan Miragliotta left a stain on the outcome.

Saturday's main event was the next chapter in an ongoing battle between longtime elite lightweights and the next generation. Moicano, 37, looked sharp early against Nolan, 11 years his junior, controlling him with his takedown entries and elite back control. It's a position Nolan was very prepared to survive, having explicitly studied it in preparation for his last fight against Fares Ziam.

Moicano urgently took Nolan down after eating a clean head kick in the second round. Moicano's back control mostly consisted of a body triangle, leg lace and pitter-patter punches that mostly hit Nolan's arm. After some time, Mirgaliotta stood the fighters up for inactivity.

It was a popular decision among fans in the Meta APEX, but many online disagreed. It's very rare for a referee to intervene when a fighter has such a dominant position. While Moicano wasn't landing effectively, he wasn't stalling either. That decision completely changed the course of the fight.

Nolan drilled Moicano with a head kick before landing a knee that put Moicano down. Moicano barely survived…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/