UFC Vegas 123: Tom Nolan secures TKO win in main event debut

Australia's Tom Nolan extended his winning streak to six with the biggest victory of his career, stopping Brazil's Renato Moicano via third-round TKO in his promotional headlining debut Saturday night in Las Vegas to cap UFC Vegas 123.

Moicano (21-8-1) established his grappling rhythm early, answering an opening exchange of body kicks with a well-timed level change to take Nolan (12-1) to the mat in the first round.

The Brazilian transitioned directly to back control to hunt for his signature rear-naked choke, but Nolan stayed composed and defended his neck through the horn.

Moicano secured another takedown and locked in a body triangle in Round 2, but after referee Dan Miragliotta ordered a mid-round stand-up, Nolan seized control.

The Australian staggered Moicano with a blistering flurry, scored a takedown of his own and nearly secured a stoppage in the final seconds of the round.

Nolan wasted no time finishing the job in the third, rocking Moicano with heavy power shots right out of the gate. Moicano attempted a desperate takedown to stem the onslaught, but Nolan reversed it, landed in top position and rained down unanswered strikes until Miragliotta intervened at 1:28.

"Now, I understand the blueprint," Nolan said on the post-fight broadcast. "I know how to systematically beat these guys."

Undefeated welterweight Jacobe Smith (14-0) delivered a dominant grappling performance in the co-main event, earning a lopsided unanimous decision over Jamaica's Randy Brown (20-9) across three rounds. All three judges handed Smith identical 30-26 scorecards.

Smith neutralized Brown's length and striking range right out of the gate, using explosive takedowns to put the veteran on the canvas and establish suffocating top control.

Brown couldn't find space along the cage or create scramble opportunities, while Smith maintained heavy pressure and landed consistent ground-and-pound throughout the 15-minute contest. Smith kept his flawless record intact with the victory.

In a clash of seasoned flyweights, Cody Durden (19-11-1) used early grappling control to earn a unanimous decision over Jamaica's Ode' Osbourne (13-10), with all three scorecards reading 29-28.

Durden set the terms immediately, shooting underneath Osbourne's strikes for an early takedown, slipping out of a guillotine threat and locking in a body triangle from back control.

After hunting for a choke and briefly attempting a twister, Durden transitioned into full mount and unleashed heavy strikes until Osbourne scrambled into top position just before the horn.

Durden reasserted his wrestling in the second round, driving the action back to the canvas and racking up vital control time. Osbourne surged in the final round by taking Durden's back and chipping away with punches, but Durden stayed defensively sound, denying submission attempts and protecting his early lead.

Brazil's Luana Santos (12-2) relied on persistent forward pressure and clinch control to earn a unanimous decision over Russia's Yana Santos (17-9) in a grinding three-round bantamweight bout.

Cage control and grappling exchanges along the fence largely defined the fight. Luana closed the distance immediately in Round 1, hunting for judo throws, but Yana defended well against the fence and answered with short knees and elbows up close.

After referee Chris Tognioni ordered a mid-round separation, Yana briefly found her range on the outside before Luana closed the distance again. Luana dictated the terms across the final two rounds, controlling the positioning against the cage and doing enough inside the clinch to earn the nod from the judges.

Welterweight Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani earned his seventh straight win to open the main card, stopping Azerbaijan's Farman Hasanov.

Ringside doctors determined that the damage from a barrage of strikes by Lebosnoyani to Hasanov's left eyelid was enough to stop the fight at 2:11 of Round 3.

Lebosnoyani (12-2) handed Hasanov (6-1) his first professional loss with the TKO victory.

--Field Level Media