Most of the athletes in the world of combat sports use tattoos to intimidate their opponents. But in the case of Tom Nolan, his most prominent tattoo seems to point at his nickname. Today, let’s find out everything we can about his tattoos. 

Nolan is one of the newest members in the UFC, competing in the lightweight division of the MMA promotion. When he first stepped into the Octagon, all eyes were fixed on him, not just because of how he displayed his strength, but also because of the inks on his body. 

What is the significance of Tom Nolan’s body inks?

The most prominent piece of ink on Nolan’s body is indeed the smoking steam engine tattooed on the left side of his chest. This indeed rhymes with his moniker ‘Big Train’. The talk of the town is that he got this tattoo inked to his chest just because of his nickname. However, the Australian mixed martial artist has yet to confirm the theories regarding his tattoos.

But that’s not the only piece that shines on his body. Nolan’s arms are also covered in gauntlets of ink. His right arm has a picture of a samurai warrior holding a blade. Needless to say, the medieval Japanese warrior is drawn with complete armor with his ‘kabuto’ being pretty prominent. This indeed signifies the power and resilience of the fighter. After all, the Samurai warriors were proud and ruthless martial artists.

On his left hand, Nolan has another tattoo that seemingly signifies power and strength, with a roaring lion on the inner side of his forearm. But the outer part of his left forearm has a skull, and the two are intricately combined with designs that have garnered the attention of the fighting community on multiple occasions. 

Additionally, on the left side of his waist, there’s one more tattoo. This one is not so prominent as the inks on his arms and chest. But it shows the lightweight fighter’s belief in Christianity. It is indeed a small tattoo of a cross. While the mixed martial artist has never talked about tattoos, they have seldom failed to raise voices of admiration among the netizens. 

But how has the ‘Big Train’ performed in the couple of fights he had in the UFC? Let’s find out!

How has the ‘Big Train’ fared in the UFC?

Before he stepped inside the Octagon, Nolan was on an undefeated spree with wins under the banner of Eternal MMA and XFC. With a 5-fight win streak, Nolan entered Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023 and impressed the UFC head honcho with his performance. He aced his debut as he defeated Bogdan Grad with a phenomenal left hook and continued to smash him on the ground. After all, winning the debut fight in the first-ever round was quite a feat.

Weighing in on Nolan’s skills, the UFC CEO once said, “6-foot-3, 155 pounds; he’s a straight killer. Only 23 years old. The only thing I have to say about this kid is you have a bright future, Tom Nolan.”

However, ‘Big Train’s second bout in the UFC was when he faced his very first defeat in his professional MMA career. At UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2, Nikolas Motta sent forth a powerful right cross in Nolan’s way, which took him down in the first round. Motta continued to send a barrage of strikes to the fallen Nolan, giving the referee no option but to announce the end of the bout. Nevertheless, Nolan redeemed himself against Victor Martinez at UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Murphy. Therein, he took control of Martinez and knocked him out within the first round. 

Now, Nolan is all set to land against Alex Reyes at UFC 305. Will his tattoos be able to strike fear in his opponent this time and lead him to victory? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.