Renato Moicano faces up-and-coming Tom Nolan at the Meta APEX on Saturday in a top fifteen lightweight clash on UFC Fight Night.
The New Zealander faces the veteran after Brian Ortega pulled out of the original booked bout with Moicano at UFC 331.
Renato Moicano v Tom Nolan Preview
The UFC moved Renato Moicano (21-7-1) to this Halloween headliner following Ortega's injury, with Tom Nolan (11-1-0) arriving here on a five-fight winning streak.
This top fifteen clash sees Moicano ranked at #12 and Nolan #14, with the fight just as important for both despite the differing stages of their careers.
At 37 years old Moicano is entering the twilight of his career but recorded an impressive bounce-back win over Chris Duncan last time out, with the Brazilian submitting the Scottish fighter by rear-naked-choke in April.
Prior to that win, the Brazilian had slipped to a two-fight losing streak, first a short notice title opportunity against Islam Makhachev (R1, Sub), before a more concerning veteran vs. veteran defeat to Beneil Dariush (UD) in June 2025.
Moicano has been in the UFC since 2014 and holds an Octagon record of 13-7 spanning both the Featherweight and Lightweight divisions.
A submission specialist with seven victories via this method, with all coming via rear-naked-choke.
Nolan's winning run Fares Ziam (UD), Charlie Campbell (Sub, R1), Viacheslav Borshchev (UD), Alex Reyes (UD) and Victor Martinez (R1, TKO) to put himself into the 155lb division's top fifteen.
It takes the 26-year-old’s UFC record to 5-1 following a first-round debut defeat to Nikolas Motta by TKO.
The New Zealander is a tall, aggressive southpaw who looks to overwhelm opponents with pressure and combinations, while he is also a BJJ brown belt.
Despite Nolan's 6ft 3in frame and four-inch height advantage there is only an inch in reach.
This main event represents a chance for Nolan to try and get a big-name win on his resume, while Moicano needs to hold his position to push towards the top ten of the division.
Renato Moicano v Tom Nolan Tale of the Tape
Renato Moicano | Tom Nolan | |
Record: | 27-7-1 | 11-1 |
Age: | 37 | 26 |
Birthplace: | Brazil | Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia |
Height: | 5'11" | 6'3" |
Stance: | Orthodox | Southpaw |
Last Fight: | Win (R2, Sub) v Chris Duncan, Apr 26 | Win (UD) v Fares Ziam, June 26 |
KO%: | 15% (of wins) | 45% (of wins) |
Alias: | Money | Big Train |
Renato Moicano v Tom Nolan Top Tip
Bet Builder Renato Moicano to win by Submission + Under 3.5 rounds @ 9/4
Both Moicano and Nolan have similar numbers in terms of striking output, with Nolan more aggressive in style.
However, the Kiwi will need to adopt a more patient approach and try not to overcommit to give Moicano easy takedown entries.
The Brazilian veteran will unlikely be overwhelmed on the feet and will need to draw Nolan into exchanges to try and tie him up in the clinch to work and force takedowns.
Ultimately Moicano is lethal on the ground and over 25 minutes it is hard not to see the experienced Brazilian getting an opportunity to take Nolan's back and walk away with another submission win here.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
