Featherweight contender Renato ‘Moicano’ Carneiro expects an exciting fight against the ‘Korean Zombie’ Chan Sung Jung at UFC Greenville.
Featherweight contender Renato Moicano wants to bounce back from his TKO loss to former champion Jose Aldo in unforgettable fashion. Paired up against Chan Sung Jung, one of the most aggressive and exciting men in the 145 lb division, the Brazilian tells Combate he could easily see their UFC Greenville bout go down as the best fight of the year.
Moicano says he prides himself on always asking the UFC for tough opponents, and believes that a win over a fan-favorite such as the ‘Korean Zombie’ would be beneficial for his record.
“He’s a tough guy. He’s not well ranked because he didn’t fight so much for the past three years, but he’s tough. I always ask the UFC for the best fighters, and I think he will help me get more recognition. Everyone knows ‘The Korean Zombie.’ He has this cool nickname, he has this aggressive style, and this fight is a candidate for fight of the night. Even fight of the year. That’s what I want. I want to put on a show.”
In his last outing, in February, the American Top Team fighter (13-2-1) was TKO’d by former champion Jose Aldo in a fight that could have secured the 30-year-old a title shot had he walked out victorious. However, Moicano claims to have learned quite a bit from the loss and blames the negative outcome on losing focus in the middle of the fight.
“You keep imagining these big champions. They’re huge! But they’re people like us. So I started to fight him, I moved, I watched him move. I watched him react to my strikes, and I thought to myself ‘Damn, this guy is a guy just like me’. That made me lose focus a little bit. That fight taught me that, once you get in there, you have to go all the way without thinking. That’s the key. You must be focused. You must always respect your opponent, but you can’t get involved in the fight. I think that’s what I learned.”
Before the loss to Aldo, Moicano was on a two-fight winning streak, with victories over Cub Swanson and Calvin Kattar. UFC Fight Night 154 is set for Greenville, South Carolina, on June 22. Moicano vs. Chan Sung is expected for the main event. A rematch between John Lineker and Rob Font is scheduled for the co-main. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more news and notes as the card approaches.