Rising UFC lightweight contender Tom Nolan reacted after picking up a career-best win over Fares Ziam at UFC Vegas 118.
Despite entering the bout as a heavy +250 underdog, Nolan got the better of Ziam as he won two of the three rounds to get his hand raised with three 29-28 scorecards.
For Nolan, the 26-year-old Aussie has now won five straight fights inside the Octagon after he lost his UFC debut in January 2024. By beating Ziam, who was ranked No. 14 in the UFC lightweight division, Nolan will now enter the top-15 rankings for the first time in his UFC career.
Tom Nolan’s Statement After Beating Fares Ziam at UFC Vegas 118
Taking to his social media after beating Ziam at UFC Vegas 118, Nolan released the following short statement to his fans.
“5 in a row…. Ranking inbound…. I love proving them wrong,” Nolan wrote on his Instagram.
Though he did not finish against Ziam, the fact that he beat someone as good as the Frenchman proves that Nolan belongs in the top 15. After he was knocked out in a massive upset by Nikolas Motta in his UFC debut over two years ago, many fans wrote Nolan off as a busted prospect.
But after winning five straight fights since then, and improving his overall MMA record to 11-1, it’s clear that Nolan just had an off night against Motta, and that he’s actually a very good fighter.
What’s Next for Tom Nolan?
It will certainly be interesting to see how the UFC matchmakers handle Nolan’s big win here over Ziam, one that few saw coming, as he was a huge underdog heading into this bout.
Taking a look at the UFC rankings, the one fight that seems to make a lot of sense is a matchup against No. 9-ranked Renato Moicano. The veteran Brazilian was Nolan’s callout of choice during his post-fight interview, and, taking to his own social media after Nolan’s victory, Moicano seemed to indicate he is interested in taking this matchup, too.
“Easy money,” Moicano wrote on his X.
It would certainly be intriguing to see Nolan fight someone ranked in the top 10 like Moicano, who has proven over his decade-plus inside the UFC Octagon that he is one of the best lightweights in the sport. Many times has Moicano fought someone younger than him whom he was supposed to lose to, only to pull off the upset over them. So it will be very interesting to see how this fight goes if the UFC does book these two fighters against each other.
Otherwise, some other potential matchups for Nolan in the top-15 rankings include Rafael Fiziev, Michael Chandler, and Beneil Dariush. Both Fiziev and Chandler are booked for fights taking place this month, but depending on how those fights go, Nolan could potentially face either man next. Dariush, meanwhile, does not have a fight booked, so that matchup against Nolan is certainly possible since it’s available for the UFC to get it booked if the matchmakers like that one in particular.
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