MMA News

Tag: Renato Moicano

  • Brendan Allen Rejects Paris Bout As He Won’t Fight Below Moicano vs. Saint Denis: ‘One Coming Off A Loss, One Barely Wins’

    UFC middleweight contender Brendan Allen appears set to decline a trip to the French capital after being snubbed of the main event slot.

    Allen, who currently occupies the #7 spot at 185 pounds, extended his winning run to seven in his first assignment of 2024, outpointing Chris Curtis in one of the year’s best fights to avenge his 2021 loss to “The Action Man.”

    That result came in an Apex main event this past April, coming on the heels of two other main events at the low-capacity facility in Las Vegas.

    And having had a taste of being on UFC Fight Night posters, Allen is now turning down high-profile matchups if he’s not headlining…

    Allen Says No Main Event, No Deal For UFC Fight Night Paris

    During a video recently uploaded to Instagram, Allen provided an update on his current status three months on from his latest triumph inside the Octagon.

    “All In” revealed that he has been offered a top five opponent in the form of Nassourdine Imavov, with the promotion looking to have the pair do battle at the UFC Fight Night scheduled for Paris, France, this September.

    That card recently had its main event reported, with the always entertaining Benoît Saint Denis expected to headline in front of his home fans in a lightweight joust against Renato Moicano.

    Allen, however, believes he has more of a right to top spot on the lineup.

    “This is for everyone that’s asking me what’s up, when am I fighting?” Allen said. “Two weeks ago, they said Imavov in Paris. I said yes. I said I want to be main event because I’ve main evented three in a row, won all three. I’m going into enemy territory, so if we’re going to do it for all the risk, all the gain, let’s go. Main event.

    “Next thing you know, we see (Saint Denis) and Moicano are the main event. I ain’t f*cking going all the way to Paris for these two dudes to go over me. One dude is coming off a loss, the other one barely wins, bro. Nah, I’m not with it,” Allen continued. “So Imavov, if you want to fight, you want this work, whatever you want to call it, come on over to America, we’ll get it done. There’s no way we should be below these guys. I know it’s the Ultimate Followers Championship, but even though they got the followers, just put them on the card, people are going to come anyway.”

    This marks consecutive years in which Allen has rejected main events against high-ranked opponents.

    “All In” turned down a headliner against Roman Dolidze last September because he wanted a higher-ranked name. While the Georgian was #7 at the time, Allen went on to face the #13-ranked Craig.

    This occasion has seen Allen refuse a showdown with the current #4-ranked contender at 185 pounds.

    It remains to be seen who the Californian will share the cage with next, and whether his decision to turn down a top five opponent will stall his planned surge to the title.

  • MMA News Today: Dana White Hits Back At Claims UFC Is A ‘Monopoly’, Ranked UFC Fighter Legally Changes First Name To ‘King’, & More

    MMA News Today: Dana White Hits Back At Claims UFC Is A ‘Monopoly’, Ranked UFC Fighter Legally Changes First Name To ‘King’, & More

    Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 8, 2024, we’re taking a look at:

    • White argues that UFC is the best at what they do rather than a monopoly
    • There’s a new “King” in the lightweight division
    • Top 15 lightweights scheduled for UFC’s return to Paris

    Dana White Insists UFC Isn’t A Monopoly Because ‘Anyone’ Can Start An MMA Promotion

    During the long process of the antitrust lawsuit that was filed against the UFC by former members of the roster, the case was granted class certification.

    While a settlement was eventually reached, many concluded that the class certification validated the allegation that the UFC holds a monopoly over the sport. Unsurprisingly, the promotion disagreeds with that notion.

    Dana White spoke out on this during a recent interview with Fox News, where he debated the idea that the MMA leader prevents others from being able to compete at its level.

    He made the case that the UFC is simply the best at what it does, but that it’s not stopping others from trying to replicate the success achieved by the sport’s leading promotion.

    “People have called us ‘monopoly’ and all this stuff for years. We’re not a monopoly, we’re just the best,” White said. “We’re the best at what we do, there’s no barrier to entry, anyone could get into this.

    “You could start a league tomorrow and pay the guys whatever you want, you can do whatever you want but a lot of smart, talented, big business moguls have got into this sport and tried to compete with me and they couldn’t do it,” White continued. “But everybody — there’s no barrier to entry, anyone can get into this thing tomorrow.”

    Bobby Green Officially Changes His Name To ‘King’ Green Ahead Of UFC 304 Return

    Islam Makhachev sits atop the UFC’s lightweight division as the world champion and pound-for-pound best fighter in the sport. Now, however, 155 pounds has a new king.

    #15-ranked Bobby Green made his intentions clear in the past that he was looking to change his name, but it has now been made official.

    When he makes the walk at UFC 304 later this month to face Paddy Pimblett, he will do so under a new name, King Green.

    He gave fans a glimpse of the official documentation on Instagram, which clearly shows that from this point on, he will answer to King and King only.

    Renato Moicano Set To Face Benoît Saint Denis In Paris Over Five Rounds

    The Octagon is set to return to the French capital for a third consecutive year, with UFC Paris going down at the Accor Arena on September 28.

    Ag. Fight reported that top 15 lightweights will face off in Paris with France’s Benoît Saint Denis taking on Brazil’s Renato Moicano. MMA Junkie later confirmed that the contest is set to take place over five rounds.

    It remains to be seen whether that marks the break of Ciryl Gane’s streak of Paris headliners, or if “God of War” and his Brazilian counterpart are set for a five-round co-headliner.

    Moicano is riding a three-fight win streak from the #10 spot, while Saint Denis, who is two spots below him in the rankings, will look to bounce back from his defeat to Dustin Poirier in March.

    Read more on the story here.

    For more MMA news, check out:

  • Jalin Turner Attributes Hesitation To Finish Renato Moicano At UFC 300 To Late Stoppage In Bobby Green Fight: ‘My Conscience Kicked In…’

    Jalin Turner Attributes Hesitation To Finish Renato Moicano At UFC 300 To Late Stoppage In Bobby Green Fight: ‘My Conscience Kicked In…’

    Jalin Turner was on the verge of beginning an impressive win streak by defeating Renato Moicano at UFC 300 and reclaiming his position as a promising contender in the lightweight division. 

    However, this is not how things went and many believe it to be because of Turner walking off after knocking down Moicano toward the end of the first round.  Instead of getting on top and getting a likely TKO win, Turner turned away as if the fight was over.

    Moicano, on the other hand, was far from knocked out and quickly got back up on his feet. Despite being wobbly, Moicano survived the last 15 seconds and ended up winning the fight via TKO in the second round. 

    Turner’s decision to not follow up with ground and pound was widely criticized. Looking back at it, the fighter has finally revealed what was going through his mind in that moment…

    ‘Rampage’ Jackson Correctly Predicts Why Turner Didn’t Finish Moicano At UFC 300

    Turner recently appeared on the Jaxxon Podcast, hosted by former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson. “Rampage,” who was a devastating KO artist during his prime, was able to accurately make out how Turner’s controversial TKO win over Bobby Green affected his mentality. 

    “I’ve been thinking about this. I think I know why you walked off [against Moicano]. ‘Cause the last time the referee took his damn time stopping the fight and you such a good guy, you didn’t want to hurt nobody.”

    As it turns out, this is exactly what stopped Turner from going for the finish against Moicano.

    He recollected the backlash he received after the fight with Green as he landed several shots before the referee finally stepped in, even after it was apparent that Green wasn’t fighting back at all. 

    “That’s exactly what it is. My conscience just kind of kicked in a little bit, like mid-fight.

    “My conscience really kicked in the fight, like even before the fight, I didn’t, like, fully, like, get to that, ‘Oh, I gotta like kill this dude instinct.’ I was just like, it’s a fight. I’m just, ‘Go, do a like, you know, just go perform,’ and yeah, that’s what happened.”

  • ‘One Of The Best Grapplers In The UFC’ – Renato ‘Money’ Moicano Talks Up Under-The-Radar UFC 302 Fight

    ‘One Of The Best Grapplers In The UFC’ – Renato ‘Money’ Moicano Talks Up Under-The-Radar UFC 302 Fight

    The UFC returns to Newark, New Jersey this Saturday night for UFC 302, headlined by a huge lightweight title fight.

    When you have names like Islam Makhachev, Dustin Poirier, Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa at the top of the card, it’s no surprise that some other fights may slip under the radar.

    This is something that Renato Moicano highlighted during his recent preview of the card on his YouTube channel.

    One of Moicano’s fellow fighters out of American Top Team is set to be in action in a fight that he believes is a certain pick in favor of his teammate.

    Renato Moicano Highlights Grant Dawson vs. Joe Solecki, Praises Dawson As Top-Tier Grappler

    On the prelim card, Grant Dawson will look to bounce back from his first defeat in the UFC where he was stopped by Bobby Green in just 33 seconds.

    Up to that point, he was putting together a serious run in the lightweight division and now faces Joe Solecki in an attempt to regain that momentum.

    Solecki, who is coming off of a loss to Drakkar Klose, is known for his jiu-jitsu skills but Moicano doesn’t believe that he will be effective with them on this occasion.

    “Money” said that Dawson is one of the very best grapplers in the UFC right now so even if the fight hits the floor, he will be able to get back to his feet in no time.

    “I’m not seeing him losing, I think he is the lock of the card. Especially because Joe Solecki is a BJJ guy, he’s a grappler, I don’t think he’s a better wrestler than Grant Dawson. I think he’s a jiu-jitsu guy that will try takedowns, will fail on the takedowns, will pull guard or even if he does take Grant Dawson down, he will not be able to control Grant Dawson on the ground because Grant Dawson is one of the best grapplers in the UFC.

    “Maybe you cannot believe in me but I’m telling you, he is one of the best grapplers on the division. I saw him training against Arman Tsarukyan, I saw him train against Mateusz Gamrot, I train with him myself, so he’s very hard to control, very good grappler.”    

  • Renato Moicano Told Corner Not To Stop RDA Fight At UFC 272

    UFC lightweight Renato Moicano has revealed that he told his corner not to stop his UFC 272 co-main event fight against Rafael dos Anjos.

    At this month’s pay-per-view, Moicano earned the respect of the masses by going 25 minutes with former champion dos Anjos on just four days’ notice. The Brazilian’s opportunity arose when Rafael Fiziev tested positive for COVID-19 at the start of fight week.

    Despite having some luck on the feet, Moicano was ultimately heavily beaten, both on the scorecards and physically. The tole on his body appeared so bad that many, including ‘RDA’ himself, believe the fight shouldn’t have seen the later rounds.

    Despite making it to the judges’ scorecards, some believe the decision to allow Moicano to fight beyond the third frame was irresponsible on the part of referee Marc Goddard, the cageside doctor, and the Brazilian’s American Top Team corner.

    That sentiment certainly wasn’t shared by Moicano, who suggested the opportunity to continue allowed him to show what he’s made of.

    Nevertheless, Moicano admitted he wouldn’t have been annoyed had cornerman Marcos DaMatta thrown in the towel, as color commentator Michael Bisping suggested he should have.

    “The fifth round was my best round because I was already tired and the ref asked me if the fight kept going like that, he would stop it,” Moicano explained. “I knew I had to give everything I had and gave all my energy to knock him out and I showed a lot of heart. They could not take this from me. It was good for me because I took the fight on such short notice (that) if they stopped it, I would’ve been really upset.

    “The cornerman has to know their fighters and the corner asked me if I was in the fight, and I said yes, I still wanted to fight. They told me to go out there and try to win and that is what I did. If I said I wasn’t ready or I’m done, he would’ve stopped it, but I told him I’m still in the fight. But, if he decided to throw the towel, I’m not going to be mad because he cares about me.” (h/t BJPenn.com)

    Moicano: UFC Turned Down 3-Round Request

    With the clash between ‘RDA’ and Fiziev originally being slated for a UFC Fight Night headliner in February, it had been kept as five rounds after being delayed to UFC 272. Despite the late call-up for Moicano, the co-main remained set for 25 minutes.

    It turns out that was in spite of a request from Moicano’s team. The Brasilia native confirmed to BJPenn.com that a pursuit of a three-round bout failed during negotiations with the promotion.

    “I asked for it to be three rounds and that’s what we wanted, but at the end of the day, I knew they wanted it to be five rounds,” Moicano said. “With that, I was willing to take the chance because he is a big name, a former champion, and a top contender.”

    Having taken the fight with the five-round stipulation attached, Moicano says he knew his conditioning would prove to be an issue if dos Anjos managed to impose a wrestling attack.

    Once that happened, Moicano says he anticipated a long night.

    “I was a little bit worried as I knew I couldn’t wrestle as going into the fight, I was focused on striking all five rounds as I didn’t have the energy to take him down,” Moicano added about his cardio. “If I missed a shot, I would be exhausted. I did what I could with what I had. It was a mental game for me as I knew I couldn’t put a high pace or get takedowns or grapple.

    “After he got the first takedown, I thought, ‘Man, this is going to be a long night,’” Moicano said. “In the back of my head, I thought he would shoot for the takedown but I didn’t know for sure. When I hit him and he took me down, I thought this would be hard because I didn’t have enough training to prepare for his wrestling.”

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CawYDMNLN_N/

    Do you think the UFC 272 co-main event should have been stopped?

  • Bisping & RDA Say Moicano’s Corner Should Have Thrown In The Towel

    UFC lightweight Rafael dos Anjos and Hall of Famer Michael Bisping have shared the same sentiment surrounding the decision to allow Renato Moicano to keep fighting at UFC 272.

    After the late withdrawal of Rafael Fiziev, Moicano stepped up on just five days’ notice to meet compatriot dos Anjos in the co-main event of the March 5 pay-per-view.

    While he left the Octagon after 25 minutes with the respect and admiration of the masses, he also exited having suffered a loss and an immense amount of damage in the process; an unnecessary level of damage, according to many.

    While Moicano showed gratitude to the doctor for not stopping the fight, claiming he wouldn’t have known what he was made of had the clash been ended early, the victorious dos Anjos shared a different view.

    During a post-fight appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the former UFC lightweight champion revealed his frustration at the hesitancy for MMA corners to throw in the towel.

    “It drives me nuts because I see guys in boxing, all the time people throw the towel, stop the fight, and we don’t see that in MMA,” dos Anjos said. 

    “I think because of the small gloves, coaches think, ‘He’s gonna get a lucky punch and finish the fight,’ but I think we should see that more. I think coaches should be more aware, to know their fighters,” he added. “They’re not reacting, they’re not connecting anything that really hurts the other guy, so let’s stop it because you’re killing your fighter. I think that’s something that the coaches in MMA should be more aware of.” (h/t MMA Fighting)

    Unsurprisingly, RDA is not alone with that opinion.

    Bisping Backs RDA’s Take

    Former UFC middleweight champion Bisping, who was on commentary duty at UFC 272 and had a front-row seat for dos Anjos vs. Moicano, admitted his concern at the damage that the younger Brazilian was taking inside Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena during a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel.

    “That fight should have been stopped. It’s as simple as that,” Bisping asserted. “It was, not one-way traffic, but it was three layers of traffic going (towards Moicano), and one lane of traffic (coming back)… After three rounds, his eye was absolutely messed up. It actually gave me cause for concern… When I was looking at the state of Moicano’s eye, I was like, ‘Well, this is done. It’s over.’ And to be honest, the offense he was giving back, dos Anjos was never in any danger.”

    Like RDA, “The Count” believes the ATT coaches in Moicano’s corner should have undoubtedly put a stop to the beating themselves by throwing in the towel. He suggested they should have been “man enough” to prevent their man from sustaining any more damage.

    “The corner should have threw in the towel. Because right there at the end of the third round, well he can’t possibly win on points, that’s for sure,” said Bisping. “He hasn’t got the power, and the pop and snap in his punches, to finish him right now, and he’s not gonna submit Rafael dos Anjos… Cornermen need to throw the towel in. The referee let it go, the doctor let it go; the corner should have (stopped it)… They’ve gotta be man enough to say. ‘You know what? I’m gonna save you from any further damage.’

    “This is somebody’s life we’re talking about. This is somebody’s long-term health, and their fight career,” the Englishman added. “When you go through that kind of fight, never mind the physical damage, never mind your eyes and the cuts and the nose and the bones and everything that might be broken, the psychological trauma—you might never be the same again.”

    UFC 272 results: Rafael dos Anjos turns Renato Moicano into a bloody zombie, wins wide decision - MMAmania.com
    Renato Moicano, Image: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

    But despite believing the fight shouldn’t have seen a fourth or fifth frame, Bisping praised the way veteran referee Marc Goddard handled the contest. He also admitted that in his fighting days, he’d have loved the lenient attitude of the cage-side doctor.

    “Marc Goddard, the referee, I thought did a great job. He brought in the doctor on two occasions. That doctor’s a savage. I love it. If I’m fighting, I always said to the referee when they would come into my room beforehand, I would always say, ‘Hey, listen ref, do not stop this fight…’ But that fight should have been stopped in round three. It was done.”

    Bisping went on to suggest that athletic commissions need to send a mass memo to teams and coaches, advising them to have more “compassion” for their fighters and more of a “practical” outlook when it comes to stopping fights.

    https://twitter.com/moicanoufc/status/1500412999298732037

    Given his positive post-fight attitude, it appears Moicano has taken the defeat well and remains in good spirits despite the brutal beating. When he returns to the Octagon, we’ll be able to see whether the damage has had an effect on his future performances inside the cage.

    Do you agree with Michael Bisping and RDA? Should Renato Moicano’s corner have thrown in the towel during the UFC 272 co-main event?

  • Renato Moicano Replaces Fiziev, Faces dos Anjos At UFC 272

    UFC 272 has itself a new co-main event, with Renato Moicano being selected as the replacement for Rafael Fiziev in a fight against Rafael dos Anjos in a catchweight bout.

    After Rafael Fiziev contracted COVID-19, the UFC was tasked with finding a replacement opponent for former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos on less than one week’s notice.

    Tony Ferguson claims he was offered to be a replacement but did not provide any additional details on why he was not selected to face dos Anjos.

    Also, Islam Makhachev made headlines when he offered to settle unfinished business with dos Anjos by replacing Fiziev in the co-main. dos Anjos welcomed the idea, but ultimately it was Moicano who was selected, as first reported by MMA Fighting on Tuesday.

    Renato Moicano has competed in the UFC’s lightweight division since 2020. He is 3-1 in the division, most recently submitting Alexander Hernandez at UFC 271 last month. Coincidentally, Moicano’s only loss at lightweight was to the aforementioned Rafael Fiziev. Moicano is currently unranked but was once ranked within the top 5 of the featherweight division.

    Rafael dos Anjos is a former UFC lightweight champion who last competed in November 2020 in a split-decision victory over Paul Felder. This was dos Anjos’ first fight down at 155 since his 2016 loss to Tony Ferguson. And for his efforts, he and Felder took home Fight of the Night. Will dos Anjos steal the show again with Moicano as his dancing partner?

    Though both fighters are active in the lightweight division, the fight will be contested at 160 lbs in a catchweight bout.

    With the new UFC 272 co-main event, the updated lineup is as follows:

    Main Card (Pay-Per-View, 8:00 PM ET)

    Jorge Masvidal vs. Colby Covington

    Rafael dos Anjos vs. Renato Moicano

    Edson Barboza vs. Bryce Mitchell

    Kevin Holland vs. Alex Oliveira

    Sergey Spivak vs. Greg Hardy

    Preliminary Card (ESPN/ESPN+, 6:00 PM ET)

    Jamie Mullarkey vs. Jalin Turner

    Yan Xiaonan vs. Marina Rodriguez

    Nicolae Negumereanu vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu

    Mariya Agapova vs. Maryna Moroz

    Early Preliminary Card (ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass, 4:00 PM ET)

    Brian Kelleher vs. Umar Nurmagomedov

    Tim Elliott vs. Tagir Ulanbekov

    Erick Gonzalez vs. Devonte Smith

    Dustin Jacoby vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk

    Who do you think will win at UFC 272: Rafael dos Anjos or Renato Moicano?

  • Renato Moicano Wants Bobby Green For Main Event Fight This Year

    UFC lightweight Renato Moicano wants a shot at Bobby Green following their respective wins at UFC 271 last weekend.

    Moicano earned a dominant win over Alexander Hernandez shortly after Green put on a striking showcase against Nasrat Haqparast. Both men are right in the thick of things in the lightweight division following their performances at UFC 271.

    Some, including UFC commentator Jon Anik, have called for Green to get a main event slot at an upcoming Fight Night event.

    Yesterday, we learned that Anik and Bobby Green fans will get their wish when Green faces Islam Makhachev on February 26. Prior to that bout being announced, Moicano wanted to be Green’s first main event opponent.

    During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Moicano spoke about what could be next in his UFC career and liked the idea of a fight with Green.

    “I don’t know, let’s see what the UFC has to offer,” Moicano said. “I heard some people are asking for a main event for Bobby Green. Maybe it’s good if we do a Fight Night. I have a lot of respect for Bobby Green. On the same day, he put on a great performance, so did I. He deserves a main event. If he goes to do a main event, I want to be there and fight, promote the fight, get the fans excited about that. But let’s see what the UFC has to offer. Let’s put some guys with action like boxing versus Jiu-Jitsu. I can strike too, it’ll be a fun fight, five rounds and the fans will enjoy.”

    Moicano has now won three of his last four in the Octagon following back-to-back featherweight losses to José Aldo and Chan Sung Jung. He made the move to lightweight in 2020 with his lone defeat in the division coming against rising contender Rafael Fiziev.

    Moicano has been known for his strong grappling base, but his striking has improved in a big way in recent outings. This could make a matchup with Green particularly entertaining for the fans.

    If Green defeats Makhachev on February 26, though, Green would almost surely be looking very high up the lightweight ranks for his next fight. If he loses, a defeat suffered to Makhachev is not exactly anything to hang one’s head over or damage one’s athletic reputation, so there’s a good chance Moicano’s offer would still stand to face Green next.

    Do you want to see Renato Moicano vs. Bobby Green in 2022?