UFC Vegas 123: Tom Nolan stops Renato Moicano in round three for biggest win of his career

Australian lightweight Tom Nolan won his first UFC main event at UFC Vegas 123 in Las Vegas on Saturday 31 October, stopping veteran Renato Moicano at 1:28 of the third round. Moicano controlled long spells on the ground, but Nolan's knees and ground strikes turned the fight. The result reached Malaysian fans on Sunday morning, and the UFC described it as the biggest win of Nolan's career.

How the fight turned

Moicano, a former lightweight title challenger, used his grappling from the start. In the first round he took Nolan down, got to his back, locked in a body triangle and looked for a rear-naked choke until the bell.

The Brazilian got to Nolan's back again early in round two. Referee Dan Miragliotta then stood the fighters up, a decision the broadcast commentators questioned. Nolan made the most of the restart. A knee dropped Moicano, and Nolan finished the round on top landing strikes.

In round three Nolan landed a hard body kick and then a knee to the head that appeared to hurt Moicano. Moicano still managed a takedown, but Nolan scrambled to the top position and landed punches and elbows until the referee stopped it at 1:28.

What it means for both men

Nolan came into the fight with an 11-1 record and a five-fight winning run, so he moves to 12-1. He had said publicly that he wanted to fight Moicano, and beating a well-known name in a main event should push him towards the ranked lightweights.

Moicano came in at 21-7-1. Parts of the crowd booed his grappling-heavy approach, and he lost a fight he had controlled for long periods.

Main card results

• Tom Nolan def. Renato Moicano: TKO (ground strikes), round 3, 1:28
• Jacobe Smith def. Randy Brown: unanimous decision (30-26 x3)
• Cody Durden def. Ode' Osbourne: unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
• Luana Santos def. Yana Santos: unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
• Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani def. Farman Hasanov: TKO (doctor stoppage, cut), round 3, 2:11

Jacobe Smith took the co-main event on less than two weeks' notice and stayed unbeaten. Luana Santos won her fourth fight in a row.

Erosa signs off with a knockout

On the preliminary card, Julian Erosa ended his career by knocking out Jeong Yeong Lee at 1:31 of the first round. The UFC confirmed it was his last professional fight. Erosa had three separate spells in the promotion, and this was the 32nd win of his career.

Other prelim winners included Joseph Kropschot, who submitted Nick Klein with an inverted triangle armbar, and Lucia Szabova, who stopped Tainara Lisboa in the third round on her UFC debut.

Key takeaways

• Tom Nolan beat Renato Moicano by TKO at 1:28 of round three.
• Moicano won the early grappling exchanges, but a knee in round two changed the fight.
• A second-round stand-up by referee Dan Miragliotta drew criticism from the commentary team.
• Jacobe Smith stayed unbeaten with a 30-26 sweep of Randy Brown.
• Julian Erosa retired after a first-round knockout win.

FAQ

How did Tom Nolan beat Renato Moicano? By TKO from ground strikes at 1:28 of the third round, after a knee hurt Moicano.

Why was the second round controversial? Referee Dan Miragliotta stood the fighters up while Moicano had back control, and the commentators disagreed with the decision. Nolan dropped Moicano with a knee soon after the restart.

When did the event take place in Malaysia time? It was held on Saturday night in Las Vegas, so the main card finished on Sunday morning, 1 November, Malaysia time.

Sources: Cageside Press, Heavy, Sherdog, BJJ TV, Fightbook MMA, Yahoo Sports