One minute and 23 seconds is all Tom Nolan needed to make a statement.

Nolan (6-0) scored the first knockout of the new season at Dana White’s Contender Series 57 to remain undefeated, and it was a finish that definitely caught the attention of the promotion’s boss cageside at the UFC Apex.

A sharp left hook from Nolan caught Bogdan Grad flush, sending him to the mat. Nolan’s follow-up punches were equally vicious, the final of which knocked out his opponent’s mouthpiece as Grad was out cold on the canvas.

Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):

Just like THAT the first KO of #DWCS S7 belongs to Tom Nolan!! pic.twitter.com/J9O5WNmImJ

— UFC (@ufc) August 9, 2023

“It felt awesome, and to do it against an opponent that was trash-talking me for weeks, it couldn’t have been better,” Nolan told Laura Sanko during his post-fight interview.

Nolan said it was his first true clean knockout, and it couldn’t have come on a bigger stage, with a shot at a UFC contract on the line. With a performance like that, he’s likely a lock to earn a contract by the end of the evening.

Up-to-the-minute DWCS 57 results include:

• Tom Nolan def. Bogdan Grad via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:23
• Caio Machado def. Kevin Szaflarski via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Payton Talbott def. Reyes Cortez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Kevin Borjas def. Victor Dias via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)