It was the UFC Fright night to Tom Nolan, until referee Dan Miragliotta decided to step in.
In Saturday night’s main event, long-time UFC veteran and former lightweight title challenger Renato Moicano is working 20-year-old Australian challenger in a bad position late in the second round as he works Nolan’s back on the ground with a body triangle lock. Miragliotta decided to stand behind the fighter as the action slowed, which was essentially a “get out of jail free” card for Nolan.
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The 6-foot-3 Nolan landed a thunderous knee in the ensuing moments that hurt Moicano, nearly finishing him off in the closing round of the sequence. It’s not long in the third for the “Big Train” to get the job done. After landing another knee, Nolan used vicious ground and balance, including a huge elbow to Moicano’s temple, to take the Brazilian away.
They reached the finish line at the 1:28 mark in the third round.
Asked if the miragliotta miragliotta stopped them as they stood in that second round, Nolan said it did not.
“Nah, I mean, you heard the crowd, and they didn’t like it,” said Daniel Cormier.
Then he saw a reenactment of his work on the big screen and was pulled from Moicano’s knee.
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“What a clean cross, ohhhh,” he said. “Bro, it’s like we’re f***ing ready for it. Kickboxing City, the best gym in the world, let’s go.”
With the victory, Nolan (12-1) has now won six straight fights in the UFC’s lightweight division, dating back to a mid-2024 TKO of Victor Martinez. When asked how he felt about the performance, Nolan teased the game plan.
“We are confident that the later he goes, the more I would like him to finish,” he said. “That’s why I didn’t want to risk doing any stupid s*** on the mat and getting choked. It could have been boring for you guys for like two minutes, but I ended up knocking him out, so well f***ing bad.”
He insists, however, that if you want to call someone to the next fight, Nolan is deferred.
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“To be honest, not really,” he said. “This was the guy I wanted to fight. I made a claim for the fight, and my job was to deliver tonight. This is my job now, and I’ve done it, I remember. See, whatever the UFC wants to do with me next.”
For Moicano (27-8-1), he returned to the drawing board after an impressive victory over Chris Duncan at Apex in April. The longtime veteran, who has one fight left on his contract, has now lost three of his last four in the UFC.
In the co-main event, Jacob Smith showed why he thinks he is the best pure fighter in the UFC’s welterweight division. Smith kept his perfect record intact by using timely takedowns, nearly nine minutes of Octagon control and a strong ground and balance to out-point veteran Randy Brown on the scorecards.
The judges saw it all 30-27 in Smith’s favor.
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The first-time collegiate All-American went on to fight in the former UFC 30-year-old, but dominated from pillar to post. With the win, his record improves to 14-0, while Brown, who has already lost four of his last five fights, to 20-9.
Check out the complete UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Nolan results posted below.
The biggest card
Lightweight: Tom Nolan def. Renato Moicano by TKO (elbow), at 1:28 of R3
Welterweight: James Smith def. Randy Brown by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26).
Flyweight: Cody Durden def. Ode to Osbourne via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Women’s bantamweight: Luana Santos def. Yana Santos by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Welterweight: John Paul Lebosnoyani def. Farman Hasanov by TKO (punches) at 2:11 of R3
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prelims
Catchweight (148 pounds): Dakota Hope def. Francis Marshall by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
Welterweight: Rodriguez def. Theodor Berggren by TKO (Doctor Stop) 5:00 from R2
Fate: Julian Erosa def. Lee Jeong-yeong by KO (punches) at 1:31 of R1
Med Zacharias Reese def. Mickey Gall by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27).
Middleweight: Joseph Kropschot def. Nick Klein by submission (armbar) at 1:25 of R2
Women’s strawweight: Piera Rodriguez def. Talita Alencar by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).
Fusarium women: Lucia Szabova def. Tainara Lisboa by TKO (punches) at 3:20 of R3