Tom Nolan fought his way into the lightweight top 15 with a big win over Fares Ziam at UFC Vegas 118.

The opening round was all Nolan, who used a well-timed right hand to close the distance and secure a big takedown 90 seconds into the stanza. Once he had Ziam on the mat, Nolan kept him there for the remainder of the round.

Nolan managed to get Ziam to the mat in round two after Ziam slipped while attempting a spinning back fist during an exchange. With time winding down, Ziam fought his way back up, but was unable to muster much offense.

That sent us to the third and final round with Nolan likely staring down the barrel of a 2-0 lead.

Ziam finally found some success in the third, quickly taking down Nolan and settling into his opponent’s guard before transitioning to Nolan’s back. However, Nolan almost immediately reversed the position, getting on top of Ziam and dropping some shots on the ground.

Ziam worked his way up and looked for a last-second onslaught, but there wasn’t enough time on the clock.

Official Result: Tom Nolan def. Fares Ziam via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Check Out Highlights From Fares Ziam vs. Tom Nolan at UFC Vegas 118:

Craig Pekios

Craig Pekios is a freelance writer born and raised in Bettendorf, IA. Joining LowKick MMA in May 2022, Craig has more than 4,000 articles published that focus on the world of MMA and boxing, including news, event previews, results, analysis, and op-eds.