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UFC Vegas 84: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker continues on the prelims with a fight in the lightweight division between Nikolas Motta and promotional newcomer Tom Nolan. Motta is coming off a controversial No Contest in his most recent fight meanwhile, Nolan punched his ticket to the UFC with a vicious knockout on the Contender Series With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Motta-Nolan prediction and pick.
Nikolas Motta (13-5) is in a do-or-die situation with just one win in his four UFC fights. His most recent fight was a highly controversial No Contest after the referee's cage side deemed the stoppage premature when Motta's opponent Trey Ogden was brutally beating and dominating Motta in the third and final round. It's up to Motta to contain his composure and show this newcomer that there is levels to this if he wants to keep his job when he takes on Tom Nolan this weekend at UFC Vegas 84.
Tom Nolan (6-0) made the most of his opportunity by knocking out Bogdan Grad in under two minutes into his Contender Series fight. He is an undefeated prospect from Australia who has four finishes in his six victories with each of his last four wins not seeing a third round. Nolan will be looking to put the lightweight division on notice when he heads to Las Vegas to keep his undefeated streak alive when he takes on Nikolas Motta this Saturday night.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 84 Odds: Nikolas Motta-Tom Nolan Odds
Nikolas Motta: +275
Tom Nolan: -345
Over 1.5 rounds: +210
Under 1.5 rounds: -280
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Why Nikolas Motta Will Win
Nikola Motta secured his contract after a dominant performance on the Contender Series in 2020. However, since then, Motta hasn't had much success in his time with the UFC with just a 1-3, 1 NC record. He most recently was on the receiving end of some bad punishment via Trey Ogden but luckily for Motta the cage side referee deemed the stoppage early and the fight ended in a No Contest instead of what should have been a loss.
Motta will attempt to get back on track when he takes on fellow Contender Series alumni Tom Nolan. He does his best work on the feet where he can land his thunderous strikes and Nolan is one who will oblige in a striking affair. For Motta, he will need to stay composed and avoid getting into a backyard brawl as it has not worked out for him in recent fights. As long as Motta can avoid taking the big shots that Nolan will be throwing his way he has a chance to right the ship and get back into the winning column.
Why Tom Nolan Will Win
Tom Nolan is the newest Australian addition to the UFC after brutally knocking out his opponent and securing his contract on the last season of the Contender Series. He is an experienced striker who has experience in kickboxing before making the switch to MMA. Nolan has been able to amass an undefeated record of 6-0 with four straight wins coming by knockout.
Nolan is now one of the tallest lightweights in the UFC standing in at 6'3″ and will have a 6″ height and 3″ reach advantage in this fight against Motta. He used that length to his advantage against a similar stature fighter in Grad on the Contender Series. If Nolan can utilize his long limbs and keep Motta at the end of his strikes you can expect another highlight reel finish.
Final Nikolas Motta-Tom Nolan Prediction & Pick
This should be an absolute barnburner between these two lightweights for however long it lasts. Motta is as tough as they come and has the power to crack even some of the best chins. With that said, this fight will be very reminiscent of his fight against Manuel Torres who was able to utilize his long limbs to keep Motta at the end of strikes and punish him as he came within range. Nolan does a great job at avoiding the big looping shots that Motta will be throwing his way and has the ability to counter that quite well.
Ultimately, Motta will look to crowd the space of Nolan by being the aggressor but all it takes is one flush shot from Nolan that will stop Motta in his tracks and he will then follow it up with a combination that will end Motta's night and UFC career early.
Final Nikolas Motta-Tom Nolan Prediction & Pick: Tom Nolan (-345), Under 1.5 Rounds (-280)
