UFC Fight Night 262 delivered one of the most exciting cards of the year, featuring thrilling finishes, upsets, and nonstop action. However, Dana White & Co.’s seventh trip to Vancouver wasn’t without its share of drama, largely due to veteran referee Dan Miragliotta, whose decisions left both fighters and fans frustrated. Miragliotta didn’t limit his controversial calls to a single bout. Early in the main card, during the Kyle Nelson vs. Matt Frevola fight, Nelson seemed seconds away from a first-round knockout.

Then, with three seconds remaining in the round, Dan Miragliotta stepped in to stop the fight—before restarting it again for round two. He later explained that he thought he had heard the horn. However, the controversy continued again in the Kevin Holland vs. Mike Malott fight. Malott committed a clear foul, yet Miragliotta issued only a warning instead of deducting points, prompting fans to chant, “Ref, you suck.” Now, with UFC Vancouver in the rearview mirror, Daniel Cormier, who witnessed the unfolding drama firsthand, has finally broken his silence on the controversial moments.

Daniel Cormier reacts to Miragliotta’s controversial calls at UFC Vancouver

Speaking on his YouTube channel the day after UFC Vancouver, Daniel Cormier offered an unfiltered take from inside Rogers Arena, reflecting on how referee Dan Miragliotta found himself in a “bad position” at the end of the prelims during the Drew Dober vs. Kyle Prepolec fight. ‘DC’ singled out the Kevin Holland vs. Mike Malott bout as the “weirdest” fight of the night. Early in Round 1, Malott landed two low blows on Holland, visibly impacting his performance.

“It looked like Kevin couldn’t fight anymore,” Daniel Cormier explained. “And if he couldn’t, no one could blame him. He got hit low multiple times. And if he couldn’t fight, he couldn’t fight. But he continued to try. And then our boy Dan Miragliotta had a rough night tonight, man. He was struggling because earlier in the night, we had all this time passing between Kevin Holland getting hit low, Kevin using all the injury time, and Kevin getting more injury time because he wasn’t sure if he could continue. Hats off to Kevin for continuing and going all the way to a decision.”

Despite the controversial moments, Cormier didn’t place the blame solely on the referee. He emphasized the role of the ringside doctors, who need a clear yes-or-no from fighters—a process he described as unusual. “It was so weird. I mean, this whole night was weird—from that, to the Drew Dober thing, to another fight earlier with an illegal shot. It was just nuts, man. It was nuts.”

At the same time, Dan Miragliotta’s controversial calls have drawn heightened scrutiny during UFC events, which ultimately fall under the commission’s authority to oversee. Earlier this month at UFC Rio, referee Osiris Maia faced criticism from both experts and fans for his handling of the Vicente Luque vs. Joel Alvarez fight. Miragliotta, however, is no stranger to controversy. Dan Miragliotta first drew attention at UFC Fight Night 218 in 2023, when UFC heavyweight Derek Lewis openly expressed his frustration with the controversial referee.

Earlier this year at UFC Kansas, Miragliotta made two questionable calls after mistakenly thinking the 10-second clapper had ended the round, prompting senior journalist Damon Martin to call on the commission to “stop” using Dan Miragliotta.

Matt Frevola adds his voice to criticism of UFC Vancouver referee

“It wasn’t even a bad stoppage,” said senior journalist Ariel Helwani, sharing his candid take on the Kyle Nelson vs. Matt Frevola controversy. Nelson had Frevola in serious trouble after a wild opening round. The Canadian unleashed a flurry of elbows and ground-and-pound, forcing the referee to step in as the crowd erupted. Miragliotta intervened with roughly three seconds remaining, seemingly stopping the fight, claiming he thought he heard the horn.

Yet, video commentary showed no horn, sparking a social media backlash against Dan Miragliotta, with fans accusing him of “robbing” Kyle Nelson of a knockout at UFC Vancouver. The more than 17,000 fans inside Rogers Arena and countless viewers helped amplify the issue further. The incident had experts, journalists, fighters, and fans buzzing long after the event.

Matt Frevola addressed the controversy himself on X: “The Steamrolla’ wrote on X, “Regarding my fight last night….. I had no idea there was a big controversy until I got back to the hotel. I never thought the fight was stopped at any point, but was confused when the doctor came to look at me after the first ended. After rewatching, it looked like a clear mistake by the ref in thinking the round had ended, but not a mistake to let me keep going. Maybe that’s the fighter in me, but I’m glad I got to keep fighting & even take round 2 in some of the judges’ eyes.””

The referee’s missteps have clearly left a mark on UFC Vancouver and sparked broader debate about officiating standards. Will Dana White and UFC leadership leave the matter in the hands of the athletic commission, or will further action be taken internally? Fans and fighters alike are weighing in—what’s your take on the situation? Share your thoughts below.