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Tom Nolan: First UFC win was ‘make or break’ moment, relieved to overcome mental adversity
LAS VEGAS – Tom Nolan placed a lot of pressure on himself heading into his second UFC bout, but breathed a sigh of relief after picking up his first win in the promotion.
Nolan (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) faced Victor Martinez in the feature prelim bout of UFC Fight Night 241 at the UFC Apex. The Australian caught Martinez (13-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) with a clean knee to the midsection, leading to the TKO stoppage at 3:50 in the first round of an entertaining lightweight fight while it lasted.
The result marked Nolan’s first UFC win, which came after a disappointing stoppage loss in his January debut. The Dana White’s Contender Series veteran felt his back was against the wall, and felt the pressure of needing to get his hand raised.
“I battled through some adversity,” Nolan explained at a post-fight news conference. “I battled through my own adversity mentally going in. It’s stressful losing your debut, you know? You have to win your second fight. You might get cut or you might get fed a bad fight on short timing. I had all those thoughts going in.
“This is all I do. This is my only way of making money. So for me, it was really make or break for this fight, and that’s a lot of pressure. I think I handled it quite well.”
Nolan, 24, has a natural advantage over most peers in his division, standing at 6-foot-3. The height advantage played into his gameplan against Martinez, but it was ultimately be a knee in close proximity that led to the end of the fight.
“I thought it was going to go longer, to be honest,” Nolan said. “I actually expected a decision or a late, late finish. But I’m happy it’s over early. I don’t get paid for overtime.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.
UFC Fight Night 241 - Vanessa Demopoulos 1
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Demopoulos vs Ducote
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Vanessa Demopoulos def. Emily Ducote, UFC Fight Night 241 Scorecard
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Alatengheili
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Alatengheili vs Rodrigues
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Heili Alateng def. Kleydson Rodrigues, UFC Fight Night 241 Scorecard
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Ariane Carnelossi
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Rodriguez vs Carnelossi
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Ariane Carnelossi def. Piera Rodriguez, UFC Fight Night 241 Scorecard
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Abus Magomedov
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Magomedov vs Alves
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Abus Magomedov def. Warlley Alves, UFC Fight Night 241 Scorecard
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Melissa Gatto
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Vidal vs Gatto
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Melissa Gatto def. Tamires Vidal, UFC Fight Night 241 Scorecard
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Oumar Sy
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Sy vs Tokkos
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Oumar Sy def. Tuco Tokkos, UFC Fight Night 241 Scorecard
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Tom Nolan
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Martinez vs. Nolan
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Tom Nolan def. Victor Martinez, UFC Fight Night 241 Scorecard
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Angela Hill
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Pinheiro vs Hill
Luana Pinheiro vs. Angela Hill
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Angela Hill def. Luana Pinheiro, UFC Fight Night 241 Scorecard
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Adrian Yanez
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Yanez vs Salvador
Adrian Yanez vs. Vinicius Salvador
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Adrian Yanez def. Vinicius Salvador, UFC Fight Night 241 Scorecard
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Themba Gorimbo
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Gorimbo vs Brahimaj
Themba Gorimbo vs. Ramiz Brahimaj
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Themba Gorimbo def. Ramiz Brahimaj, UFC Fight Night 241 Scorecard
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Khaos Williams
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Williams vs Harris
Khaos Williams vs. Carlston Harris
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Khaos Williams def. Carlston Harris, UFC Fight Night 241 Scorecard
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UFC Fight Night 241 - Lerone Murphy
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UFC Fight Night 241 Edson Barboza vs Lerone Murphy
Edson Barboza vs. Lerone Murphy
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Lerone Murphy def. Edson Barboza, UFC Fight Night 241 Scorecard
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