It was UFC Fright Night for Tom Nolan, up until referee Dan Miragliotta decided to step in.
In the second round of Saturday night's main event, longtime UFC veteran and former lightweight title challenger Renato Moicano had the 26-year-old Australian in a bad position late in the second round, working with Nolan's back on the ground with a body triangle locked in. As the action slowed, Miragliotta decided to stand the fighter's back up, which was essentially a "get out of jail free" card for Nolan, who took full advantage.
The 6-foot-3 "Big Train" Nolan landed a thunderous knee in the ensuing moments that hurt Moicano, nearly finishing him in the closing sequences of the round. It didn't take long into the third for him to complete the job. After landing another knee, Nolan used vicious ground and pound, including massive elbows to Moicano's temple, to put the Brazilian away.
The end came at the 1:28 mark of the third round.
When asked if he was surprised that Miragliotta restarted them to standing in that second round, Nolan said he wasn't.
"Nah, I mean, you heard the crowd, they didn't love it," he told Daniel Cormier.
Then he saw a replay of his work on the big screen and was di...