Tom Nolan Faces Idol Moicano in First UFC Main Event — SkimNews
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- Tom Nolan volunteered to step in when Brian Ortega withdrew, earning the 11-1 Australian lightweight his first UFC main event: Saturday’s UFC Fight Night against Renato Moicano at Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
- Renato Moicano advocated a five-round main event so both fighters had proper time to prepare, despite saying he had little interest in facing the dangerous 26-year-old Nolan on short notice.
- Fares Ziam lost his lightweight top-15 ranking to Nolan by unanimous decision on June 6, with Nolan landing twice as many significant strikes across three hard rounds.
- Renato Moicano rejected the “heroes-becoming-rivals” narrative and said he wanted money, while Nolan describes Moicano as one of the heroes he watched growing up.
- Cory Sandhagen advised Nolan before his Contender Series debut; Nolan used the dart shot from Sandhagen’s instructional to knock out Bogdan Grad in 83 seconds, a finish Paul Felder called among the “most deadly shots” he had seen.
- Salkilld is scheduled to headline his second consecutive UFC Fight Night on Feb. 7 against Saint Denis in Australia, while Nolan says Australian fighters freely train together and says he would prefer not to fight fellow Anzacs.
- Bogdan Grad spent weeks antagonizing Nolan before their Contender Series fight; Grad returned one year later to secure a UFC contract and was coming off an August win, while Nolan credits the knockout with making his former bully humble.
Why it matters: Nolan’s win over Fares Ziam moved him into the lightweight top 15, and his first UFC main event pairs him with Renato Moicano in a bout Moicano advocated making five rounds for proper preparation. The unusual setup combines a longer format with a short-notice move: Nolan volunteered after Brian Ortega withdrew.
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