Tom Nolan explains why first UFC win was a ‘make or break’ second

LAS VEGAS – Tom Nolan positioned numerous stress on himself heading into his second UFC bout, however breathed a sigh of reduction after selecting up his first win within the promotion.

Nolan (7-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) confronted Victor Martinez within the characteristic prelim bout of UFC Combat Night time 241 on the UFC Apex. The Australian caught Martinez (13-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) with a clear knee to the midsection, resulting in the TKO stoppage at 3:50 within the first spherical of an entertaining light-weight struggle whereas it lasted.

The consequence marked Nolan’s first UFC win, which got here after a disappointing stoppage loss in his January debut. The Dana White’s Contender Sequence veteran felt his again was towards the wall, and felt the stress of needing to get his hand raised.

“I battled by means of some adversity,” Nolan defined at a post-fight information convention. “I battled by means of my very own adversity mentally stepping into. It’s demanding shedding your debut, you realize? It’s important to win your second struggle. You may get reduce otherwise you may get fed a foul struggle on brief timing. I had all these ideas stepping into.

“That is all I do. That is my solely means of getting cash. So for me, it was actually make or break for this struggle, and that’s numerous stress. I believe I dealt with it fairly nicely.”

Nolan, 24, has a pure benefit over most friends in his division, standing at 6-foot-3. The peak benefit performed into his gameplan towards Martinez, but it surely was in the end be a knee in shut proximity that led to the top of the struggle.

“I assumed it was going to go longer, to be sincere,” Nolan mentioned. “I really anticipated a call or a late, late end. However I’m completely happy it’s over early. I don’t receives a commission for extra time.”

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC Combat Night time 241.