Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Tom Nolan scored a hard-earned victory on a mixed night for Australians at the UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas
In a back-and-forth lightweight affair, Nolan overcame Frenchman Fares Ziam by unanimous decision, taking the cards 29-28, 29-28, 29-28 on Saturday night (local time).
Nolan (11-1) extended his winning streak to five, dragging Ziam into a gruelling fight primarily spent in numerous grappling exchanges, while also mixing up strikes on the feet.
Ziam (18-5) saw his six-fight unbeaten streak end, which had lasted since September 2022.
In a light heavyweight bout, Poland’s Iwo Baraniewski needed 1:25 to extend his first- round finishing streak to nine, using consecutive leg kicks followed by ground-and-pound to secure a TKO of New Zealand-born Australian Justin Tafa.
Baraniewski (9-0) said he is interested in a top-15 opponent and a quick turnaround for his next fight, while Tafa (7-6) has dropped three of his past four UFC appearances.
In the main event, former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad had no answers for Brazil’s Gabriel Bonfim, who secured his 20th win in 21 MMA fights by securing a unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) victory.
Bonfim (20-1) used crisp boxing to bloody and batter Muhammad’s nose throughout the 25-minute fight.
Through a translator, Bonfim showed respect to Muhammad (24-6, 1 NC) for his toughness and resolve, thanking him for a competitive fight.
Bonfim said he wants to remain “active”, teasing a possible fight with another former champion, Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena.
The middleweight co-main event saw an all-action striking affair between Brendan Allen of Brazil and American Edmen Shahbazyan, which ended with Allen maintaining his top-five ranking.
Allen (27-7) earned a unanimous decision win, taking the cards 30-27, 29-28, 30-27.
Shahbazyan (16-6) had his three-fight winning streak halted, having not lost since August 2024.
At bantamweight, Bryce Mitchell found an opening in the final seconds of the third round to secure an arm-triangle submission win over Mexico’s Santiago Luna.
Mitchell (19-4) has earned 10 wins by submission, handing Luna (8-1) his first loss as a professional.
