Tom Nolan looking to extend win streak with biggest career win at UFC Vegas 123
This weekend, Tom Nolan faces the most high-profile opponent of his career thus far, as he puts his lengthy win streak on the line against the always popular Renato Moicano in the UFC Vegas 123 main event.
Tom Nolan is edging closer to breaking into the UFC lightweight top 10. To do so or, at least, earn a subsequent fight that will put him in position to, he must defeat a tricky and experienced veteran in Renato Moicano, who will look to derail the hype train that Nolan's win streak is currently running.
UFC Vegas 123 is Tom Nolan's first main event
It was two years ago that Tom Nolan made his UFC debut. He had impressed Dana White with his Dana White's Contender Series appearance in week one of season 7. He needed just under two minutes to knock out Bogdan Grad, improving his record to a perfect 6-0. Unfortunately, his UFC debut proved to be a disastrous outing, as he was TKO'd in round one by Nikolas Motta at UFC Vegas 84.
Despite suffering his first-ever professional loss, Nolan didn't wallow in any misery. He dusted himself off and, just a few months later, returned to the octagon with a performance that brought him back to the win column. It was a first-round TKO of Victor Martinez at UFC Vegas 92, and marked the start of his win streak. Now, in 2026, Nolan has five consecutive wins under his belt, with his latest win being a unanimous decision over Farès Ziam, who was on a six-fight win streak, at UFC Vegas 118.
This Saturday, he'll have a much stiffer test in his first UFC headliner, as he faces Renato Moicano, who is coming off a second-round submission of Chris Duncan, having forced him to tap to a neck crank at UFC Vegas 115. Moicano has shared the octagon with some of the greatest fighters of all time across both featherweight and lightweight. He hasn't always won, but not just anyone gets to fight the likes of José Aldo, who some still regard as the greatest featherweight ever, or face another all-time great in Islam Makhachev for the lightweight belt.
Nerves will almost certainly be a factor for Nolan, who will be aware of the magnitude of the fight, which will likely determine his ceiling in the division. Moicano is often regarded as a gatekeeper to the top 10. He has only ever lost to former UFC champions and top six fighters. If Nolan can't beat him, true lightweight success probably isn't in the cards for him. So, it'll be up to him to rise to the occasion in his first assignment as a main-eventer, because Moicano won't give him an inch.
