Predicting UFC Fight Night Moicano vs Nolan
by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen
Sportz Nation - 10/30/2026
In our UFC 333 Predictions, which you can find here,
Zak went 4-2 in picks with 1 methods for 5 points.
Matt went 4-2 in picks with 2 methos for 6 points.
Points To Date:
Zak: 207 (138-88)
Matt: 183 (124-96)
*All odds courtesy of Caesar's Sportsbook on 10/28
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12Renato Moicano vs
14Tom Nolan
(Moicano -125)
Zak Drapeau -
Am I wrong to have thought that Nolan would've been the favorite heading into this one? I understand the experience advantage Moicano has an obviously he is a talented fighter and elite grappler but Tom Nolan is bigger, younger and has been on a roll as of late with his striking in high-profile fights.
This fight will also be Nolan's first look at a 5-round bout in his career and while Moicano has technically been in 2, 5-round Main Events in the last two years, he hasn't made it into championship rounds since he lost a decision to RDA more than 4 years ago. Moicano is talented and very exciting but Nolan should be able to put him down eventually in the 3rd or maybe 4th round.
Prediction: Nolan by TKO/KO
Matt Hylen -
Though Renato Moicano is the more experienced fighter, I really like Tom Nolan as a potential contender in this division. He may not be one of the better known fighters just yet, but this is a huge opportunity for him to put him name on peoples’ radar.
The biggest thing I’m looking for is how Nolan will fare when he won’t be the one offensively grappling. Moicano will often take the center and go on the attack when fighting lower ranked competition, which is something Nolan hasn’t quite experienced at this level yet. With that said, Nolan should have a huge advantage on the feet with his size, lengths, and overall striking ability compared to Moicano’s chin.
Prediction: Nolan by Decision
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Randy Brown vs
Jacobe Smith
(Smith -280)
Zak Drapeau -
I ranked Jacobe Smith as my #3 rising prospect in the UFC two months ago so I'm definitely looking at him to win this fight but I will say, him being a 3-1 favorite over Randy Brown is misleading. Brown has been around the Octagon for over 10 years and has been fighting some of the best of the best for years now. Not to mention he'll measure about 5" taller with a 5" reach advantage too.
Jacobe Smith is very talented and I will ultimately pick him but all I'm saying is Brown will make Smith work harder than he ever has in the Octagon. I like Smith to finish Brown in the 2nd or 3rd round but in the middle of a dogfight where both fighters land huge shots.
Prediction: Smith by TKO/KO
Matt Hylen -
Though Randy Brown’s insane length for the division is worth noting, I think this fight should be pretty straight forward. A lot of prospects have gotten fraud checked this year, but I don’t see Jacobe Smith being one of them.
Smith is unbelievable anywhere the fight goes. He can knock you out with a single counter, but also slam you to the ground and produce a nasty submission. Brown has always struggled against balanced fighters, making be beleive Smith can find a way inside the pocket and either get a takedown or a devastating blow.
Prediction: Smith by Submission
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Ode Osbourne vs
Cody Durden
(Pick 'Em)
Zak Drapeau -
Ode Osbourne has been getting shafted in the Octagon over the last yea, put up as almost a sacrificial lamb against Steve Erceg and then being beaten by Alibi Idiris only for the contest to be overturned by Idiris being bopped and suspended for taking a banned substance.
Now he'll be facing Cody Durden who has been shaky to say the least this year. With a 1-2 record including being choked out in his last fight, Durden still has great wrestling to fall back on but this may not be his best matchup. I really like Osbourne's striking with his reach advantage to take over.
Prediction: Osbourne by Decision
Matt Hylen -
In what should be considered a battle for a roster spot, this should be a low level but but a fun one as well. I was looking forward to seeing what these two could do back when it was originally scheduled in July, especially considering the fact their either guy could get knocked out at any point.
As I said before, this isn’t the highest level fight, but styles make fights at the end of the day. I do think Ode Osbourne is the more talented striker, but his chin is so bad that Cody Durden could absolutely land a strike that puts Osbourne down. Ultimately, I just don’t think Durden deserves to be in the UFC anymore, making me side with the likes of Osbourne and the striking he possesses.
Prediction: Osbourne by TKO/KO
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6Yana Santos vs
7Luana Santo cs
(Luana Santos -270)
Zak Drapeau -
No don't adjust your computers, these two aren't sisters, but they are both Top-7 fighters in the Woman's Flyweight division. Both fighters are on a 3-fight win streak and will surely be Top-5 with a win in this one.
Yana Santos is a very skilled fighter that could never get over the hump when fighting the top of her division. Luana on the other hand is 6-1 in the UFC and since moving up to Bantamweight just over a year ago has won 2 dominant decision victories. Luana has an expert background in both Judo where she has a black belt and BJJ where she has a pruple belt, watch for her to completely dominate Yana on the ground to an albeit boring, 30-27 victory.
Prediction: Luana Santos by Decision
Matt Hylen -
This fight has big implications for the Women’s Bantamweight division. Both Yana and Luana Santos are talented fighters that can mix things up in terms of gameplan, so it’ll be interesting to see if this will be more of a striking matchup or a clinch/grapple matchup.
The biggest advantage, in my opinion, goes to the grappling of Luana. Yana has been a bit of a decision merchant in the UFC, but Luana has great submission skills that I think she can show against a fighter like Yana. I would give the striking advantage to Yana, but Luana should be able to take this fight to the ground rather easily.
Prediction: Luana Santos by Submission
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Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani vs
Farman Hasanov
(Lebosnoyani -300)
Zak Drapeau -
This is definitely a sleeper fight between two guys who are undefeated in the UFC. Lesbosnoyani is a very well-rounded fighter with a BJJ black belt and ever-evolving strike game but his opponent is NO slouch and the fact he is a 3-1 underdog is very surprising to me.
Farman Hasanov will be competing in his 2nd UFC fight and only 6th professional MMA fight this weekend but his background in freestyle wrestling already makes him seem like a veteran. He achieved the title of Master of the Sport of Freestyle Wrestling in Soviet circles and after his first UFC fight saw him get 17 of 27 takedowns, I like him to control the tempo and location of this fight and get a huge underdog win.
Prediction: Hasanov by Decision
Matt Hylen -
Both Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani and Farman Hasanov have gotten off to a good start in the UFC but are still looking for that finish to put their name on the map.
I really like the balanced nature of Lebosnoyani‘s style. He looked elite in LFA and hasn’t slowed down since being on the UFC’s radar. His Contender Series finish was nasty as well, showing exactly why the UFC wanted to bring him in. With that said, Hasanov is no slouch either. His striking is very crisp with someone who only has five professional MMA fights with a wrestling background. He also has a TKO victory in the Contender Series, but he seems a bit too inexperienced in MMA for me to believe he can beat Lebosnoyani.
Prediction: Lebosnoyani by TKO/KO
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Julian Erosa vs
JeongYeong Lee
(Lee -165)
Zak Drapeau -
I'm actually excited to see this fight to see if JeongYeong Lee's can resurge his career. After being one of the best new fighters to come out of the UFC's "Road to the UFC" series based in Asia, Lee has lost his last two fights to very good fighters and has now taken to a very infrequent fight schedule as a way to train more meticulous for his fights.
Erosa on the other hand is about as veteran as you can get in the Octagon and has been fighting some of the absolute best in the division over the past few years. From wars with Mel Costa, Lerryan Douglas and Darren Elkins, Erosa is battle tested and will even enjoy a decent size advantage. Still, I have to give this one to the younger Lee who I think comes back from his loss streak with a huge KO this weekend.
Prediction: Lee by TKO/KO
Matt Hylen -
I’m also quite excited to see how these two matchup against each other. Julian Erosa is coming off getting knocked out cold by Lerryan Douglas, while JeongYeong Lee is a former Road to UFC champion looking to find his place in the promotion.
Looking at both fighters, Erosa last two losses have been to power punchers, which is what Lee has looked like thus far in the UFC. Lee does come from a Ju-Jitzu background, but has his fair share of highlight reel finishes on the feet. Weiss is the much more experienced fighter, but his balanced style will likely get canceled out by Lee’s. I expect to see another performance from Erosa that shows he is past his prime, which should give Lee a great opportunity to save his UFC career and get a finish.
Prediction: Lee by TKO/KO
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