Tom Nolan Hopes UFC Main Event Rise Inspires Up-and-Coming Fighters

Australian lightweight Tom Nolan is set to headline his first Ultimate Fighting Championship card when he meets Renato “Money” Moicano at UFC Vegas 123 on Oct. 31 at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Ahead of the pivotal matchup, Nolan reflected on his upbringing and expressed his desire to show others that they can forge a future around their passions.

Speaking at UFC media day, Nolan explained that he views his headlining opportunity as a platform to encourage aspiring athletes who might believe a professional career at the highest level is beyond their reach. “I like to be able to hopefully someday be an inspiration for other fighters who are on the come up,” Nolan said. “Hopefully they can look at me and go, I can do this. It doesn't matter where I come from or who I am or what I'm supposed to be.”

Nolan described his hometown as an area burdened by crime and drugs, where envisioning a positive path forward was notoriously difficult. “It's the like theft capital of Australia. It's like not many people really get out of there.

You're not really supposed to, if you, if you're from there,” he stated. By finding a way out through mixed martial arts, Nolan hopes to prove that alternative paths exist for those facing similar circumstances. “And I'm sure there's plenty of other people who want to escape that.

So I would like to be a beacon if I can for that,” he added.