Learn more about the burgeoning star ahead of his first UFC Fight Night main event against Renato Moicano
Oct 30, 2026 at 12:11 pm ET • 7 min read
Tom Nolan earned his first UFC main event the hard way. The Australian lightweight has become a legitimate contender in one of the promotion's deepest divisions, with a tenacious style and an unusually studious approach to his craft.
Nolan (11-1) headlines UFC Fight Night against Renato Moicano on Saturday at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. He's won four straight fights since losing his UFC debut, most recently upsetting Fares Ziam to break into the lightweight rankings. The 26-year-old now has the opportunity to establish himself against a veteran he's long revered, one who has shared the Octagon with some of the division's best.
The matchup came together because Nolan was willing to step up. Moicano was originally scheduled to face Brian Ortega at UFC 332, but Ortega withdrew from the fight. Nolan offered to step in. Moicano had little interest in facing such a dangerous young opponent on short notice. Instead, Moicano said he advocated for a five-round main event to give both fighters proper time to prepare.
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Ahead of the biggest fight of Nolan's career, let's get to know the rising Australian contender, from the fighters who shaped his style to the bully he knocked out on his way to the UFC.
He's fighting one of his 'heroes' on Saturday
Nolan was studying Moicano well before they were scheduled to meet. He dissected Moicano's dominant stoppage win over Benoit Saint Denis to prepare for another Frenchman, Ziam. One grappling sequence in particular caught Nolan's attention.
"The way he used the body triangle to go between mount and back mount. I just thought it was a beautiful way to keep his hips facing the floor at all times," Nolan told CBS Sports. "There are only a few examples of it at a really high level to study, and you know, I'm a big believer in keeping up with the times and studying the sport."
Nolan was 14 when Moicano made his UFC debut, submitting Tom Niinimaki in the second round. He's long admired Moicano's ambitious fighting style, calling him "one of the heroes" he watched growing up. Moicano, however, isn't interested in a touching idols-becoming-rivals narrative.
"F--- that, Tom Nolan," Moicano told reporters at Wednesday's Media Day. "I'm gonna beat your f---ing ass, bro. Stop that shit. I don't want compliments, I want money."
Fortunately, Nolan's admiration isn't subduing him. The best way to honor his hero is to beat him with some of Moicano's signature techniques.
"Ground and pound. Some elbows would be very nice. Just slicing and dicing would be sick," Nolan said. "He's very good at that. I'd love to do that to him."
He took Fares Ziam's lightweight ranking
Knowledgeable fans recognized that Ziam vs. Nolan was excellent matchmaking, even though oddsmakers had favored Ziam considerably. Their June 6 fight justified the excitement. The lightweights fought for three hard rounds, with Nolan landing twice as many significant strikes and holding his own in several grappling exchanges.
Nolan walked away with a unanimous decision win and Ziam's spot in the Top 15. It was an especially convincing win because Ziam looked like a legitimate threat to the lightweight elite. Afterward, Ziam downplayed the loss, claiming he lacked fire and focus. Nolan wasn't surprised.
"I picked up on that vibe when I met him," Nolan said. "I thought he would be a little bit like that after losing. People have different personality types. Everyone needs to find a reason why they lost. I think the best guys in the world and the champions can always look internally and say, 'OK, what did I do wrong?' That's what I do with my loss. I completely blame myself. I don't want to make excuses. I have to learn from this and be better. I think other people don't do that."
The Quillan Salkilld conundrum
Beating Moicano brings Nolan closer to an awkward reality. His friend and fellow Australian prospect Salkilld is creating a buzz in the same division. Salkilld is scheduled to headline his second consecutive UFC Fight Night on Feb. 7, facing Saint Denis in Australia. Nolan and Salkilld don't train at the same gym, but Australia's MMA scene is remarkably collaborative. Rivalries between major camps aren't uncommon elsewhere, such as the famous feud between Florida's American Top Team and the Blackzilians. Australian fighters, meanwhile, freely exchange knowledge and train together despite representing different gyms.
Nolan and Salkilld have discussed possibly fighting each other, but Nolan believes there are enough opportunities for both men to succeed without crossing paths in the Octagon.
"We've spoken about it. We're boys, we're on the come up. I think we're both big enough that whoever wins the title could go up, but I don't know. It's not really something I think about. I'd prefer not to fight any Anzacs," Nolan said, referencing Australian and New Zealand fighters. "I love the homies back home. We started on this scene as underdogs, just a handful of us. Now we're really starting to take over. I love the idea of all of us pushing together and beating everyone up."
Cory Sandhagen assisted his 'Contender Series' KO
Nolan was a UFC fan long before he became a UFC fighter. Two of his favorite fighters, Charles Oliveira and Cory Sandhagen, underscore that with their technically sophisticated yet fan-friendly styles. Nolan has a similar appetite for striking, outlanding nearly every opponent he's fought. But his appreciation for Sandhagen reaches far past the Octagon.
"I think Cory Sandhagen is one of the greatest technicians in the sport, and his striking understanding is at the highest level," Nolan explained in a UFC Q&A. "I also think he has a huge portion of his mental growth as a person and an athlete on display in his interviews and instructionals, which is really important for the sport to show how we evolve as the years go on.
Nolan's studious approach predates his fights with Ziam or Moicano. Ahead of his "Contender Series" debut, Nolan contacted Sandhagen for advice. The two exchanged messages, and Nolan made Sandhagen a promise.
"I messaged him and said, 'Hey, when are you putting out your flying knee knockout [instructional video]? How do you set this up? How did you do this?' We went back and forth. I said to him, 'I'm flying on 'Contender Series' in two weeks, and I'm going to knock this dude out with one of your techniques.' And I actually used the dart shot that he teaches in an instructional, so I was like, 'Wow, that's insane."
Nolan and Sandhagen make a good student-teacher combo. Nolan convincingly demonstrated what he learned from Sandhagen's instruction, knocking out Bogdan Grad in 83 seconds. UFC commentator Paul Felder described the finish as one of "the most deadly shots I've seen in a long time."
UFC CEO and president Dana White had high hopes for Nolan when he awarded him a contract, calling him a "straight killer" with a bright future.
"Only 23 years old," White said. "The only thing I have to say about this kid is you have a bright future, Tom Nolan."
He shut up a bully for good
Nolan doesn't like bullies. He spent enough time dealing with them as a child, so knocking out Grad felt especially good.
Grad devoted weeks to antagonizing Nolan before their "Contender Series" fight. He bombarded Nolan with social notifications, sent bizarre flexing videos and issued ominous warnings about Nolan's fighting future. Nolan had been on the receiving end of similar treatment growing up, but now had the means to address it.
"It was a moment of growth for me to realize, oh wow, I did exactly what you've just described," Nolan said.
Nolan takes greater satisfaction in what happened afterward. Grad returned to the "Contender Series" one year later to secure a UFC contract. He's coming off a win in August, but Nolan barely recognizes the man he knocked out.
"The coolest thing is that guy is now in the UFC, and his whole approach is complete humility," Nolan said. "It's like it humbled him and changed him. So that's probably my proudest part about it, to be honest. I turned him from a bully into a reasonably good guy, which is cool. He's having a lot of success in the UFC now.
