Preview: UFC 312 Prelims

Lightweights

Viacheslav Borshchev (8-4-1, 3-3-1 UFC) vs. Tom Nolan (8-1, 2-1 UFC)

ODDS: Borshchev (-135), Nolan (+114)

Defense seems optional in a fight matched for action. The UFC was high on Nolan after he continued his string of finishes with a quick knockout win on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023. Massive for the lightweight division, the young Australian looked like the type of talent that could quickly run through the bottom of the division before facing some issues. However, it was quickly proven that aggression could cut both ways for “Big Train.” When faced with another offensively focused power puncher, it was Nikolas Motta who won the race to a knockout. Nolan has seemed to try and take a more patient approach in the fights since, even going three rounds against Alex Reyes in his last victory, but that shift is still clearly a work in progress. Nolan does still tend to give harder strikes than he takes, but he remains quite hittable. That becomes a risk against Borshchev, who eschews the usual form of his Team Alpha Male stablemates and fights as a fairly one-dimensional striker. Borshchev has a crafty kickboxing game and can take apart opponents with some sharp counters, but pressure and aggression have proven fairly reliable in taking “Slava Claus” out of his game, particularly if that includes the threat of any wrestling or grappling. Given enough time to work on the feet, even if it’s mostly in a fight where Borshchev is uncomfortable, the Russian usually does a solid job of finding his timing and landing some hard offense in response; and Nolan doesn’t seem particularly ready to absorb that if the tide turns. The pick is Borshchev via second-round knockout.

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