One minute and 23 seconds is all Tom Nolan needed to make a statement.
Nolan (6-0) scored the first knockout of the new season at Dana White’s Contender Series 57 to remain undefeated, and it was a finish that definitely caught the attention of the promotion’s boss cageside at the UFC Apex.
A sharp left hook from Nolan caught Bogdan Grad flush, sending him to the mat. Nolan’s follow-up punches were equally vicious, the final of which knocked out his opponent’s mouthpiece as Grad was out cold on the canvas.
Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):
Just like THAT the first KO of #DWCS S7 belongs to Tom Nolan!! 👊 pic.twitter.com/J9O5WNmImJ
— UFC (@ufc) August 9, 2023
“It felt awesome, and to do it against an opponent that was trash-talking me for weeks, it couldn’t have been better,” Nolan told Laura Sanko during his post-fight interview.
Nolan said it was his first true clean knockout, and it couldn’t have come on a bigger stage, with a shot at a UFC contract on the line. With a performance like that, he’s likely a lock to earn a contract by the end of the evening.
Up-to-the-minute DWCS 57 results include:
- Tom Nolan def. Bogdan Grad via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:23
- Caio Machado def. Kevin Szaflarski via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Payton Talbott def. Reyes Cortez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Kevin Borjas def. Victor Dias via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
