Dan Miragliotta

Last updated
Dan Miragliotta
Born (1963-10-30) October 30, 1963 (age 60)
New Jersey, United States
Other names"Big Dan Miragliotta"
Occupation(s)MMA referee, MMA judge, actor

Dan Miragliotta (born August 30, 1963) is a professional mixed martial arts referee, [1] [2] judge and former actor from the United States best known for officiating numerous bouts promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), dating back to UFC 78. [3] He was credited as one the best [4] referees in MMA, as well as one of the most recognizable and active referees on the promotion in both 2022 and 2023. [5] [6] As of September 2024, Miragliotta has officiated 1,203 MMA fights. [1]

Contents

Martial arts background

Miragliotta started training Shitō-ryū karate at 14 years of age to recover from a surfing accident that caused two Vertebrae in his back to break. He would eventually begin competing in the sport and received his black belt when he was 18 years old. [3] Miragliotta would then go on to train and compete in both Kenpo karate (in which he would eventually earn a 5th Dan black belt) and Doce Pares Eskrima, a Filipino stick fighting martial art. Miragliotta would eventually start training Muay Thai and shootfighting, becoming an instructor in both, under Vut Kamnark and Bart Vale (3rd level), respectively. He is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt under Renzo Gracie. [3]

Acting career

Miragliotta did stunts for the 2014 film Noah and acted as an extra in the 2015 film Tracers (Russian Gangster #2). He also acted as an extra in the TV series Daredevil (Big Biker) and Person of Interest (Corrupt Cop with Shotgun), both roles were uncredited. Miragliotta is set to star as himself in the upcoming film Memoirs from the Streets of New York.

MMA referee and judge

Beginnings

Miragliotta began his career as an MMA referee in US Vale Tudo, a promotion based in Virginia, and would then go on to run his own MMA events in New Jersey, occupying the roles of promoter, organizer and referee (even becoming a boxing referee). [3] Although members of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (SACB) attended events, they did not regulate them at the time. [7] [8] His work would lead to other promotions asking Miragliotta to referee at their own events. [3] By the time the SACB began regulating professional MMA in the state, it is reported Miragliotta had already refereed more than 400 fights. [9] [7]

In the Ultimate Fighting Championship

Miragliotta would have his first appearance in the promotion on UFC 78: Validation, where he would referee five fights, including the main event: Rashad Evans vs. Michael Bisping. [10] Since then, he has been "the third man" in many fights on several important events held by the promotion, among these:

As of September 2024, Miragliotta's latest appearance in the promotion was UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Borralho, where he officiated three fights, including the main event. [16]

In other promotions

Although best known for his role in the beginnings of MMA and appearances in the UFC, throughout his career, Miragliotta has continued to work for many other MMA promotions such as: Bellator MMA, Professional Fighters League, Cage Warriors, Cage Fury Fighting Championships and Art of War, among others. [1] He has also participated in many importants events in these promotions, most notably Bellator 180 and Bellator 214. [17] [18]

Controversy

While well-liked by most athletes, [4] Miragliotta has been involved in several controversies throughout his time as a referee and judge. One of the most well-known was his stoppage of the main event of EliteXC: Primetime, Kevin Ferguson (better known as Kimbo Slice) [19] vs. James Thompson. [20] In the first round, Thompson was able to take Ferguson several times and control the pace of the fight. This happened again in the second round where, towards the end, Ferguson would be smothered and would take several shots to the head without referee intervention. In the third round, Ferguson punched Thompson hard, hitting him the ear and causing the cyst that was in it to burst open, which lead to a great amount of blood pouring out. Thompson would go on to take four more headshots before Miragliotta stopped the fight, 38 seconds into the round, [20] [21] although Thompson was still standing up and moving. [22] The stoppage was heavily criticised, arguing an unprepared [23] Ferguson was set up with an easy match-up that the promotion hoped he would perform well in. It was even argued that the match was "rigged" as the blood should not have been cause for a stoppage, since it was not in Thompson's eyes. [24] Miragliotta would go on to defend his stoppage by claiming that his stoppage was not due to the blood, although it was "one of the most disgusting things I've seen in a fight". [25] Instead, his justification for stopping the fight was that, by the look of Thompson's eyes, he was "out of it". [25]

In 2011, Miragliotta admitted the only call he ever made he was regretful of was the highly criticized stoppage of the fight between Brandon Vera and Fabricio Werdum, on UFC 85. [7] Late into the first round, Werdum mounted Vera and began punching him, Miragliotta stopped the fight with twenty seconds left in the round. [26] He would later go on to declare that while Vera was trying to reassure him that he was okay, he misinterpreted it as a verbal submission. [7] This decision would be heavily criticized by both fans and the media, with several attendees at the event and commentator Joe Rogan protesting the stoppage. [26] [27]

A third instance of controversy occurred at Bellator 227 (also known as Bellator Dublin). There, Miragliotta would referee the bout between Michael "Venom" Page (also known as MVP) and Richard Kiley. [28] Page would win the fight via knockout form flying knee. [29] However, before this, Miragliotta would deduct a point from him because of "unsportsmanlike conduct" after he insulted his opponent. [30] At the end of the fight, Miragliotta attempted to make Page and Kiley shake hands to show sportsmanship. However, Page would tell him to "fuck off". [30] After this, Miragliotta would turn to one of Page's coaches and say "What a fucking piece of shit." before promptly apologizing. [30] After the event, Page would demand an apology and Miragliotta would vow to never referee any of his future fights. [31] Neiher of them would be punished by the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation for their actions. [31] The pair would later reconcile, although the decision to "never share the ring again" would be kept. [32]

Miragliotta's next controversial moment would occur on UFC on ESPN 7, involving his handling and stoppage of the bout between Ben Rothwell and Stefan Struve. [33] In the first round of the bout, Struve was winning the striking exchanges. However, he was hit with a low blow from which he took almost five minutes to recover. [34] In the second round, Struve would be hit with another low blow which he would also take long to recover from. During this recovery time, Miragliotta would tell him that he was up two rounds to zero, and if he chose not to continue, his decision would be to declare the fight a no contest. [35] The fight would continue with a point deduction to Rothwell. Shortly after the bout resumed, Rothwell would overwhelm Struve and Miragliotta stopped the fight when Struve crumpled to the canvas with three seconds left on the round. [35] Miragliotta's words to Struve would be questioned, as many considered it inappropriate for a referee to advise a fighter. [36] However, Struve would later defend Miragliotta, declaring that the referee was just trying to allow him to make a good decision. [36]

The next time Miragliotta would become target of heavy criticism would involve him as a judge rather than a referee and would take place in UFC on ESPN 43. The card included a bout between Maycee Barber and Andrea Lee, [37] in which Miragliotta would be a judge. Barber would go on to win the bout via split decision and Miragliotta's scorecards would draw negative feedback from both fighters and fans, as he scored the bout 30-27 in favor of Barber. [38] This came into great contrast with Chris Lee's and Frank Collazo's scorecards, scoring the bout 30-29 for Lee and Barber, respectively. [38]

Finally, UFC heavyweight Derrick Lewis has gone as far as to claim that he suspects Miragliotta is part of a conspiracy against him (although no substantial evidence for this claim has been provided). [39] In Lewis's fights against Tai Tuivasa and Sergei Pavlovich, in UFC 271 [40] and UFC 277, [41] respectively, Lewis would complain about Miragliotta's decision to stop the fight. [42] [43] [39] Regarding the bout against Pavlovich, commentators Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier, as well as fighters such as Francis Ngannou and Belal Muhammad, among others, also regarded its end as an early stoppage. [44] Dana White, CEO and president of the UFC, also considered the stoppage to be early but did not see it as a great mistake, commenting "Miragliotta made a mistake, but it happens." [43]

Outside of mixed martial arts

Outside of mixed martial arts, Miragliotta has also acted as a referee in bare-knuckle boxing for BKFC and kickboxing for Gut Check Promotions. [45]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fabrício Werdum</span> Brazilian mixed martial artist and Jiu-Jitsu practitioner

Fabrício Werdum is a Spanish Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is also a 4-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, a two-time Abu Dhabi Combat Club World Heavyweight Champion and a member of the ADCC Hall of Fame. He holds black belts in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Judo, and Muay Thai. Werdum has competed in PRIDE, the UFC, Strikeforce, and Jungle Fight. At the time of his departure from the UFC, Werdum was #14 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Thompson (fighter)</span> English mixed martial arts fighter

James Thompson is an English professional mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division. A seasoned professional competitor since 2003, Thompson has also formerly competed for PRIDE FC, Bellator MMA, Cage Rage, EliteXC, Sengoku, DREAM, KSW, Rizin, and the SFL. He last fought for Bellator in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Rothwell</span> American mixed martial artist

Ben Rothwell is an American mixed martial artist and Bare-Knuckle boxer who competes as a Heavyweight. He most notably had a 17 bout stint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and competed for the Quad Cities Silverbacks of the IFL where he held an undefeated 9–0 record before leaving the promotion due to a contract dispute. He has also had one-fight stints in Affliction, M-1 Global, and King of the Cage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jorge Masvidal</span> American mixed martial artist (born 1984)

Jorge Masvidal is an American professional boxer and former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions. Masvidal competed professionally for 20 years from 2003 until 2023, having fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Bellator, Strikeforce, Shark Fights, and World Victory Road. He holds the record for the fastest knockout in UFC history at five seconds, and won the symbolic UFC "BMF" Championship belt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gegard Mousasi</span> Dutch kickboxer and mixed martial arts fighter

Gegard Mousasi is a Dutch mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. Mousasi most recently competed in Bellator MMA, where he is the former two-time Bellator Middleweight Champion. He is also the former DREAM Light Heavyweight Champion, former DREAM Middleweight Champion, former Cage Warriors World Middleweight Champion, and the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, thus making Mousasi an overall six-time MMA world champion. At the moment of his departure from the UFC in July 2017, he was #4 in the official UFC middleweight rankings, and he is currently ranked the #12 middleweight MMA fighter in the world by Fight Matrix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimbo Slice</span> Bahamian mixed martial artist (1974–2016)

Kevin Ferguson, better known as Kimbo Slice, was a Bahamian mixed martial artist, professional boxer, and actor. Originally a bare-knuckle boxer, he became noted for his role in mutual combat street fight videos which were spread online, leading Rolling Stone to call him "The King of the Web Brawlers".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Mitrione</span> American mixed martial artist and American football player

Matt Mitrione is an American retired mixed martial artist and former American football player, who competed for both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and most recently for Bellator MMA. Prior to embarking on an MMA career, Mitrione played college football at Purdue University, and he turned pro and played in the National Football League (NFL) with the New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings. He was a featured fighter on The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights. A former Heavyweight contender, he has several wins over notable MMA fighters, including Kimbo Slice, Derrick Lewis, Roy Nelson, Phil De Fries, and Fedor Emelianenko.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Travis Browne</span> American mixed martial artist

Travis Kuualiialoha Browne is a retired American mixed martial artist who last competed as a Heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Sean McCorkle is a retired American professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Super Heavyweight division. A professional from 2005 until 2014, he competed for the UFC, Bellator, KSW, and King of the Cage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Volkov (fighter)</span> Russian mixed martial artist (born 1988)

Alexander Yevgenyevich Volkov is a Russian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional MMA competitor since 2009, Volkov previously competed for the M-1 Global promotion, as well as Bellator MMA. He is a former heavyweight champion in both promotions. As of July 2, 2024, he is #3 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Chandler</span> American mixed martial artist (born 1986)

Michael Chandler Jr. is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Chandler previously competed for Bellator MMA from 2010 through 2020 where he became a three-time Bellator Lightweight Champion and was the winner of the Bellator Season Four Lightweight Tournament. As of May 7, 2024, he is #6 in the UFC lightweight rankings.

Philipe Lins is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, who formerly competed in the light heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He won the 2018 Professional Fighters League heavyweight tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derrick Lewis</span> American mixed martial artist (born 1985)

Derrick James Lewis is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he currently holds the record for most knockouts in UFC history. A professional competitor since 2010, Lewis has also competed for Bellator MMA and Legacy FC, where he was the Heavyweight Champion. As of June 11, 2024, he is #11 in the UFC heavyweight rankings.

Andrew Martin Dober is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2009, he has also formerly competed for Bellator MMA, and Titan Fighting Championship.

Sabah Homasi is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Welterweight division. A professional competitor since 2009, he has also competed for the UFC, Bellator MMA, Titan FC, and Strikeforce.

Timothy Johnson is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2010, he has also competed for the UFC and Bellator MMA.

Thibault Gouti is a French mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional since 2011, he has also competed in the UFC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mads Burnell</span> Danish mixed martial artist

Mads Burnell is a Danish mixed martial artist who competes in featherweight division of Bellator MMA. Professional mixed martial artist since 2013, Burnell has also competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Cage Warriors, where he was a Featherweight champion. He was the European Championship European No-Gi Champion in 2014.

Kevin Alan Holland is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2015, Holland has also competed for Bellator MMA, King of the Cage and Legacy Fighting Alliance. As of September 10, 2024, he is #15 in the UFC welterweight rankings.

Chidi Godson Njokuani is an American mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai kickboxer, who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional MMA competitor since 2007, he also formerly competed for Bellator MMA, RFA, Tachi Palace Fights, and Legacy FC.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sherdog.com. "Dan". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  2. ↑ "Ring Officials Inspectors". boxing.nv.gov. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Dan Miragliotta - History Of The MMA Referee". www.lowkickmma.com. 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  4. 1 2 Al-Shatti, Shaheen. "Fighters vote: Best and worst MMA referees, judging judges, grading commissions". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  5. ↑ "Leading third men: The 10 referees who oversaw the most UFC fights in 2022". MMA Junkie. 2022-12-19. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  6. ↑ "Leading third men: The 9 referees who oversaw the most UFC fights in 2023". MMA Junkie. 2023-12-26. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Referee Dan Miragliotta's underground events led to UFC on Versus 4's big call". MMA Junkie. 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  8. ↑ Genia, Jim (2011). Raw combat: the underground world of mixed martial arts. New York : London: Citadel ; Turnaround [distributor]. ISBN   978-0-8065-3504-3.
  9. ↑ Hill, Adam. "A Timeline of UFC Rules: From No-Holds-Barred to Highly Regulated". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  10. ↑ Sherdog.com. "UFC 78 - Validation". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  11. ↑ Sherdog.com. "UFC 87 - Seek and Destroy". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  12. ↑ Sherdog.com. "UFC 112 - Invincible". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  13. ↑ Sherdog.com. "UFC 172 - Jones vs. Teixeira". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
  14. ↑ Sherdog.com. "UFC 198 - Werdum vs. Miocic". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  15. ↑ Sherdog.com. "UFC 223 - Khabib vs. Iaquinta". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  16. ↑ Sherdog.com. "UFC on ESPN 62 - Cannonier vs. Borralho". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  17. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Bellator 180 - Sonnen vs. Silva". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  18. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Bellator 214 - Fedor vs. Bader". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  19. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Kevin". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  20. 1 2 Sherdog.com. "EliteXC - Primetime". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  21. ↑ Iannotti, James (2008-05-27). "CBS Elite XC results for 'Saturday Night Fights' on May 31". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  22. ↑ "MMA Review – Kimbo Slice vs. James Thompson | A.J. Wood". ajwood.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  23. ↑ Mohapatra, Pramit (1 June 2008). "EliteXC "Primetime" aftermath: Kimbo Slice needs work, Brett Rogers wants a piece". Fight Ticker. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  24. ↑ Daconta, C. J. "Elite XC Fix: Kimbo Slice Wins a Rigged Match". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  25. 1 2 Smith, Michael David (2008-06-02). "Ref Dan Miragliotta Defends Stoppage of Kimbo Slice-James Thompson Fight". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  26. 1 2 Wizzle, D. "UFC 85: Bedlam Review and Recap". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  27. ↑ oleg (2008-06-09). "UFC 85 Review". Fight Matrix. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  28. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Bellator 227 - Gallagher vs. Salazar". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  29. ↑ stevejuon (2019-09-27). "Bellator 227 Results & Streaming Play-By-Play Main Card Updates". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  30. 1 2 3 Marrocco, Steven (2019-10-01). "Referee Dan Miragliotta responds to Michael 'Venom' Page: 'I'll never do his fights again'". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  31. 1 2 Balfe, John (2019-10-01). "Dan Miragliotta confirms he called Michael 'Venom' Page a 'f*cking piece of s**t' following Bellator Dublin bout" . Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  32. ↑ "MVP forgives ref Miragliotta for post-fight clash". ESPN.com. 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  33. ↑ Sherdog.com. "UFC on ESPN 7 - Overeem vs. Rozenstruik". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  34. ↑ Doherty, Dan (2019-12-08). "UFC DC Results: After Delivering Two Groin Shots, Ben Rothwell Finishes Stefan Struve". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  35. 1 2 "UFC on ESPN 7 results: Ben Rothwell low blows then TKOs Stefan Struve". MMA Junkie. 2019-12-08. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  36. 1 2 "Stefan Struve defends referee Dan Miragliotta's controversial handling of his fight with Ben Rothwell". MMA Junkie. 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  37. ↑ Sherdog.com. "UFC on ESPN 43 - Vera vs. Sandhagen". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  38. 1 2 Nambiar, Abhishek (30 March 2023). "Dan Miragliotta slammed by MMA world for 30-27 score in Maycee Barber's favor: UFC San Antonio". Sportskeeda . Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  39. 1 2 Lee, Alexander K. (2023-02-02). "Derrick Lewis doesn't want Dan Miragliotta reffing UFC Vegas 68 fight after past stoppages: 'He's got a conspiracy out on me'". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  40. ↑ Sherdog.com. "UFC 271 - Adesanya vs. Whittaker 2". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  41. ↑ Sherdog.com. "UFC 277 - Pena vs. Nunes 2". Sherdog. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  42. ↑ "UFC 271 results: Tai Tuivasa outslugs Derrick Lewis, knocks out 'The Black Beast'". MMA Junkie. 2022-02-13. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  43. 1 2 Meshew, Jed (2022-07-31). "Sergei Pavlovich and Dana White disagree on controversial stoppage of Derrick Lewis at UFC 277". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  44. ↑ Lee, Alexander K. (2022-07-30). "'Weak as hell': Fighters debate stoppage of Sergei Pavlovich vs. Derrick Lewis bout at UFC 277". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  45. ↑ "Refereed by Dan Miragliotta". Tapology. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.