Tom Nolan

Tom "Big Train" Nolan is an Australian mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division of the UFC.

Born and raised in Toowoomba, Queensland, Nolan grew up playing rugby league and first stepped onto the mats as a young teenager, drawn to the sport in part by his admiration for former UFC champion Anderson Silva. He initially used martial arts as cross-training during the rugby off-season before committing to it full time, relocating to the Gold Coast for a stretch of dedicated training and later basing himself in Brisbane. His amateur career began in 2016, and he built his name on the Australian regional circuit, including bouts under the Eternal MMA banner.

Nolan holds a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and captured multiple amateur titles before turning professional, credentials that reflect the well-rounded, technical base underneath his aggressive style.

Standing 6-foot-3 with a notably long frame for the lightweight division, Nolan fights as a rangy, high-output striker who leans on distance management, unorthodox angles and a varied kicking arsenal, with observers drawing stylistic comparisons to fellow UFC strikers Cory Sandhagen and Anthony Pettis. He has also worked to sharpen his clinch work and close-range striking, adding a heavier elbow-based attack to his offense.

Training out of Team Compton Training Centre in Brisbane, Nolan rose through Australian regional promotions before earning a UFC contract on Dana White's Contender Series, stopping Bogdan Grad