Dana White hands undefeated Aussie star a UFC contract after knocking out loud rival who went on weeks of stalking and bullying campaigns
Dana White hands undefeated Aussie star a UFC contract after knocking out loud rival who went on weeks of stalking and bullying campaigns
- An Aussie star has won a contract with the UFC
- Tom Nolan knocked out an Austrian rival
- He was the victim of a stalking campaign for weeks
Undefeated Aussie star Tom Nolan has won a UFC contract after knocking out an opponent who stalked him online for weeks.
Nolan, 23, making waves in MMA circles after building an impressive record of five wins and no losses prior to his shot at the big time, was invited to compete in Dana White’s Contender Series.
Youngsters who impress the UFC boss get contracts to compete in the big MMA promotion, and Nolan takes on Austrian rival Bogdan Grad.
Nolan revealed before the fight that Grad had launched an intense online campaign against him, in which he would regularly comment on his Instagram posts and also send him threatening direct messages.
But the 23-year-old let his fists do the talking in the cage and put on a first-round blitz to hammer his rival and prove he’s the real deal.
An Australian fighter has won a contract with the UFC after a major knockout victory
Tom Nolan stopped Austrian rival Bogdan Grad in Dana White’s Contender Series
Nolan dropped Grad in the first round with a massive left hook, and as the Austrian was sprawled on the canvas, he followed up with another massive blow that knocked Grad out.
UFC commentator described the finish as “one of the deadliest shots I’ve seen in a long time.”
White was equally effusive in his praise of the Queenslander.
“Tom Nolan, I shouldn’t even have to say anything,” White said when handing out his UFC contracts.
“But I’m going… 5’10, 155 pounds, he’s a downright killer.
“Only 23 years old, all I have to say about this kid is ‘you have a bright future Tom Nolan’.”
Reflecting on his win, Nolan said he knew he was going to finish off Grad.
“I knew this was going to happen,” he said. “I saw it happen at the back. I imagined it, just throw that left hand on the pillow.
UFC president White believes the 23-year-old Queenslander ‘has a great future’
‘And it worked. And I keep knocking people out.
“It felt great, especially to do that against an opponent who has been talking nonsense to me for weeks.
‘It couldn’t have been better. When I was younger I faced bullying and didn’t stand up for myself. Well, that’s not the case.’