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The UFC featherweight veteran is aiming to start anew at 155.
After a pair of knockout losses, Renato Moicano is ready to head up a weight class.
The UFC featherweight contender revealed to MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz that he intends to compete at lightweight when he returns to action in 2020.
“Some coaches have been asking me to do this test at lightweight,” Moicano said. “I was apprehensive at first, but Mike Brown has asked me many times since I moved to ATT. We’re used to cutting a lot of weight in Brazil, and that was never a problem for me, but I’ve suffered a lot in my last three fights.
“After my last loss, Mike Brown texted me saying ‘I think it’s time for you to move up. You have to at least make a test. If you don’t like it, fine, you can go back (to 145),’ and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Moicano (13-3-1) has never fought at lightweight before, but he has an opponent in mind for when UFC Brasilia rolls around in March: Clay Guida.
“I’m a huge fan of his and since he has fought many times in Brazil before, I don’t think that would be a problem for him,” Moicano said. “He’s a veteran and a popular fighter, so that would be good to maybe make it the main or co-main event in Brasilia.”
“He always puts on great fights,” Moicano said. “I’ve always looked out for big-name opponents since my debut and I plan on doing the same at 155: aim for big fights, good opponents.”
The 30-year-old headlined UFC Greenville in June and suffered a first-round TKO loss to Chan Sung Jung, aka “The Korean Zombie.” Preceding that was a second-round standing TKO against Jose Aldo at UFC Fortaleza in February. Moicano has notably beaten Cub Swanson, Jeremy Stephens, and Calvin Kattar.
Guida (35-19) did beat B.J. Penn at UFC 237 in Brazil this past May, but was choked out in a crazy 58-second battle with Jim Miller at UFC Newark. Calling out Guida certainly isn’t jumping into the deeper end of the lightweight pool, but he’s no doubt a familiar name to UFC fans given his 13-year run inside the Octagon.