LAS VEGAS – Whoever said "don't meet your heroes" never said anything about fighting them.
At UFC Fight Night 292, Tom Nolan gets to do just that. Nolan (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) takes on Renato Moicano (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC), a fighter he's long admired, in the main event at Meta APEX. It's something he's manifested.
"It's manifestation," Nolan told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. "I called him out. The (Brian) Ortega fight got put together. I was like, 'Oh, that sucks.' But I was actually conscious of the fact that I thought Ortega would probably pull out. I accepted the fight on a week's notice. That didn't end up happening. But more time is definitely beneficial, so here we are."
"... It puts me in the top 10.
Obviously, fighting a legend and a hero of mine growing up is a cool thing. But ultimately, it's the ranking I'm coming for. It's the progression of my career. When we're in there on Saturday, it's not going to matter who's in front of me. ... He's one of the heroes for sure. Dustin (Poirier), Max (Holloway), Conor (McGregor), (Charles) Oliveira – that sort of generation. This is the first guy I get to fight from that era."
In combat sports, callouts more often than not have nefarious roots. There's dislike, disdain, and disrespect. Nolan feels none of those things toward Moicano, however. It's quite the opposite. He issued a challenge out of respect and belief that Moicano is still one of the best fighters in the world.
"I still think he's world-class," Nolan said. "I wouldn't have called him out if I thought he was a shell of himself. I would never want to fight someone and beat them when they aren't at their best version. That's just not who I am. I think he's awesome. I think he's a very tough challenge. I'm excited."
When Nolan made his amateur MMA debut in 2016, Moicano was already in the UFC. The lightweight and featherweight divisions have been two of the UFC's best over the past decade, and during Nolan's entire rise to notoriety, Moicano was fighting the world's best. Nolan admired him. That's why he thinks there's so much to gain with a win.
Given a couple of opportunities to shed some light on how he thinks things will go down Saturday, Nolan politely declined. He seems to have something specific in mind, but would rather show the world than tell it.
"I'm going to keep that close to the chest," Nolan said. "I've got some ideas and some things I've seen. My team and coaches have put together for me. But I think a big part of it is I want to be a world champion. I want to be the best I can be. I think he's maybe over that, mentally over that hill. His motivation might be slightly different to mine. If it comes down to grit, I definitely think I'm going to be the one who wins that. ... He's not easy money either."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Tom Nolan explains how he manifested UFC main event vs. 'hero' Renato Moicano
