UFC lightweight contender Renato Moicano is already looking ahead to his next assignment — and a grudge that he wants to settle in 2025.
Moicano was the recipient of a surprise title shot this past weekend in Los Angeles, where MMA’s leading promotion opened its pay-per-view account for 2025 with UFC 311 from the Intuit Dome.
Originally scheduled to do battle with Beneil Dariush on the main card, Moicano found himself making the walk for the headliner and sharing the Octagon with champion Islam Makhachev.
His sudden title shot came about after the late withdrawal of Arman Tsarukyan. Unfortunately for the Brazilian, he was unable to shock the world on 24 hours’ notice, instead falling to a submission in the first round.
While some may say it’s difficult to criticize the fan favorite’s efforts given the manner in which his first championship opportunity arrived, longtime rival Paddy Pimblett found a way.
“The Baddy” berated the Brazilian in a reaction video, questioning why he tapped so quickly instead of ‘going out on his shield’. Those remarks sparked a tense back and forth between the pair on social media, reigniting talk of a clash inside the Octagon from 2024.
Moicano, for one, is keen for it to come to fruition as soon as possible.
“@danawhite just book this fight already,” he wrote on X.
While Moicano is licking his wounds following an unsuccessful opening outing in 2025 and title shot, Pimblett remains without a date in the calendar for his next bout.
With that in mind, perhaps the #13-ranked lightweight will find himself with the chance to back up his promise to replicate Makhachev’s performance against the Brazilian later this year.