Tonight, the UFC saw over 17000 fans inside Rogers Arena go from roaring to chanting “Ref s—-“ within seconds. Just as Kyle Nelson was about to score a stunning first-round TKO, referee Dan Miragliotta almost called the fight off, then changed his mind. The uncertainty that ensued did more than simply ruin a finish; it caused outrage throughout the fight world and reignited an uncomfortable question regarding one of MMA’s most controversial referees.

Nelson had Matt Frevola hurt badly after a wild opening round. The Canadian exploded with elbows and ground-and-pound, prompting the referee to intervene as the crowd erupted. However, what appeared to be a clean TKO victory turned into chaos as Dan Miragliotta abruptly restarted the fight with only seconds left on the clock. Nelson’s disbelief was evident.

Justin Gaethje and the MMA community react to Dan Miragliotta’s reffing

Kyle Nelson had done everything right, only to have his first-round finish wiped away. Though he eventually won a unanimous decision, the moment left a bitter taste and overshadowed what could have been a historic performance and a convincing TKO win for ‘The Monster.’ As expected, the reactions worldwide were fast and equally furious.

Fighters and journalists were shocked, unable to comprehend what they had just seen. Justin Gaethje expressed his disbelief in simple terms: “This is crazy. I love this sport.” Journalist Adam Martin called it exactly as fans saw it, tweeting, “Nah man, that was a legit TKO win for Kyle Nelson… this is really messed up #UFCVancouver.”

Nolan King expressed this disbelief bluntly, “What the f—???” #UFCVancouver,” while Jed I. Goodman vented the frustration many felt, writing, “Again? Every f—— week now.” More joined in with even sharper words. Real Kevin K declared, “Kyle Nelson was just ROBBED of a first-round finish at #UFCVancouver 💀. What is going on, and how did they allow this fight to keep going 😂?”

The sentiment reflected the chaos that has become associated with Dan Miragliotta’s name in recent months. As one of the sport’s longest-serving referees, his frequent mistakes are becoming increasingly difficult for fans and fighters to overlook. In fact, he has a whole list of errors, so it’s no wonder Dana White is no longer a big fan of the official.

Miragliotta’s long history of officiating errors in MMA

The chaos at UFC Vancouver was hardly new for Dan Miragliotta, who has built a reputation for inconsistency over the years. Fans and fighters have witnessed it before: disputable stoppages, missed fouls, and occasions when emotion got the best of him. Tonight’s misunderstanding contributed to an already long litany of mishaps that are testing the patience of the MMA community.

One of the most talked-about incidents occurred at UFC on FOX 28, when Josh Emmett accused Miragliotta of failing to stop Jeremy Stephens‘ illegal blows when he was down. “I wish Dan would have done his job,” Emmett later stated, a comment repeated at UFC 277, when Sergei Pavlovich defeated Derrick Lewis via TKO. Even Dana White said it was “definitely an early stoppage.”

Perhaps the lowest moment came during Bellator Dublin, when Miragliotta was caught calling Michael ‘Venom’ Page a “piece of s—-“ mid-fight, a remark that cost him the privilege to oversee Page’s future bouts. Despite his apology, the episode revealed a worrying pattern: a veteran official whose judgment and composure suddenly appear as unpredictable as the fights he oversees.