Renato Moicano rejects Tom Nolan’s praise at UFC Vegas 123
The Brazilian says he wants money, not compliments, and only gets half his purse if he loses to the Australian on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Renato Moicano answered Tom Nolan’s praise with profanity at UFC Vegas 123 media day this week in Las Vegas. The Australian called the Brazilian one of his childhood heroes, and Moicano replied that he is going to beat him up. The two headline the card this Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Meta APEX.
The exchange added heat to a fight oddsmakers list as a pick ’em. Moicano is No. 12 in the UFC lightweight rankings, and Nolan is No. 14.
What Tom Nolan said about Moicano
Nolan, 26, said he grew up watching the Brazilian fight. “Fighting a legend and a hero of mine growing up is a cool thing,” he said. He added: “He’s one of the heroes for sure.”
Moicano, 37, wanted none of it. “F*** that, Tom Nolan,” he said. “I’m going to beat your f***ing ass, bro. Stop that s***.” Then he made his priorities clear: “I don’t want compliments. I want money.”
Moicano’s purse depends on a win
The money talk is not just talk. According to Moicano, his contract only pays in full if he wins. “I need to win otherwise I just get paid half,” he said.
He also compared Nolan to Brian Ortega, his opponent in a rematch that fell apart twice in 2026. In his view, the switch was no consolation prize. “I believe everybody can agree with that that Tom Nolan is more dangerous than Ortega,” he said. “Ortega is a bigger name, but I think beating Tom Nolan would do better for my record and for my resume.”
As for what comes after Saturday, Moicano kept it simple. “I want to beat Tom Nolan, keep going, get a high-profile opponent, and like I say, I want to see what is next for me.”
Moicano’s jiu-jitsu vs. Nolan’s striking
Beneath the trash talk, the fight is a clear clash of styles. Moicano, a jiu-jitsu black belt who trains at American Top Team, is 21-7-1. Eleven of those wins came by submission, more than half of his career victories.
The latest came in April, when he choked out Chris Duncan with a rear-naked choke at 3:14 of the second round. That win ended a rough stretch that began when Islam Makhachev submitted him in a title fight at UFC 311 in January 2025, followed by a unanimous decision loss to Beneil Dariush.
Nolan is 11-1, with five knockouts, five decisions and just one submission, a rear-naked choke of Charlie Campbell. He has won five straight, most recently a unanimous decision over Farès Ziam in June, and this is the first main event of his career.
Moicano also owns a win over Benoît Saint Denis, now ranked No. 6 and set to headline UFC Sydney against Quillan Salkilld. Beating a rising name like Nolan would keep the Brazilian in the mix in one of the UFC’s deepest divisions.
UFC Vegas 123 start time and Brazilians on the card
The main card starts at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+. Besides Moicano, the card features Luana Santos vs. Yana Santos, plus Rodrigo Sezinando, Talita Alencar and Tainara Lisboa on the prelims. Randy Brown and Jacobe Smith meet in the co-main event.
What do you think: does Moicano’s jiu-jitsu win this on the mat, or do Tom Nolan’s youth and striking carry the night on Saturday? Leave your pick in the comments.
Read more:
- Renato Moicano vs. Tom Nolan headlines UFC Vegas 123
- Quillan Salkilld vs. Benoit Saint Denis set for UFC Sydney
- Carlos Prates vows to finish Islam Makhachev’s legacy
