Tag: Renato Moicano

Renato Moicano Rejects Dana White’s AI Rankings, Proposes ‘More Logical’ System

UFC lightweight contender Renato Moicano has given his take on how the promotion’s official rankings should be revamped. The topic of the UFC rankings has risen to the surface in recent times thanks to CEO Dana White’s frustration. The promotion’s boss most recently took issue with the failure to boost Khalil Rountree up the light […]

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UFC lightweight contender Renato Moicano has given his take on how the promotion’s official rankings should be revamped.

The topic of the UFC rankings has risen to the surface in recent times thanks to CEO Dana White’s frustration. The promotion’s boss most recently took issue with the failure to boost Khalil Rountree up the light heavyweight pecking order following his defeat to Alex Pereira.

White has consistently slammed the media for the top 15s, though the rankings panel is largely made up of defunct and unknown outlets. Many have pushed for changes to the panel and the addition of more recognized reporters, but White has a different idea altogether.

The last few weeks and months have seen him raise plans to utilize AI to form the UFC rankings. During an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, however, Moicano dismissed that as a “logical” idea.

Instead, the Brazilian — who raised his own annoyance with the rankings after staying put outside the top 10 following his dominant win over Benoît Saint Denis — wants to see an organized “points-based” format introduced.

“I saw Dana White talking about the AI. But the whole thing is, the AI, somebody’s programming the AI too. The way they program the AI is the way they are going to do the matchups,” Moicano said. “I think it would be best if we do like, a way that is points, you know?

“So if you knock the guy out, or if you submit him, or if it is a decision against a ranked guy — point-based system, you know what I mean?” Moicano continued. “I think that would be better, that would be more logical.”

It remains to be seen what renovation is coming to the UFC’s ranking system, but White claimed to be having a meeting regarding the issue this week following the final episode of this year’s DWCS season.

Moicano, for one, will most likely welcome any change that boosts him further toward the gold at 155 pounds.

Continue Reading Renato Moicano Rejects Dana White’s AI Rankings, Proposes ‘More Logical’ System at MMA News.

Renato Moicano Discovers ‘Unbelievable’ Hole In José Aldo’s Game After Mario Bautista Loss

Renato Moicano is arguably at the prime of his career in terms of momentum and popularity. His four-fight win streak as a UFC lightweight includes popular names like Jalin Turner, Benoit Saint-Denis, and Drew Dober, and he’s eyeing to fight the biggest stars in the division now. Many fans believe Moicano to be a rising […]

Continue Reading Renato Moicano Discovers ‘Unbelievable’ Hole In José Aldo’s Game After Mario Bautista Loss at MMA News.

Renato Moicano is arguably at the prime of his career in terms of momentum and popularity. His four-fight win streak as a UFC lightweight includes popular names like Jalin Turner, Benoit Saint-Denis, and Drew Dober, and he’s eyeing to fight the biggest stars in the division now.

Many fans believe Moicano to be a rising prospect because of his charisma on the mic. However, he’s been in the UFC since 2014 and has fought the best of the best in the UFC featherweight division until moving up a weight class.

Moicano faced José Aldo in the biggest match of his career in 2019. He lost via second-round TKO but claims he could’ve emerged victorious with a game plan similar to Mario Bautista…

Renato Moicano Claims Mario Bautista Will Benefit From Beating José Aldo Like Alexander Volkanovski And Merab Dvalishvili Despite Controversy

Moicano, Gilbert Burns, and Matty Betts discussed all things UFC in the latest episode of Show Me The Money podcast on YouTube. Interestingly, Burns believes Aldo lost the fight because Bautista could hold him against the cage. The UFC welterweight instead blamed the referee for allowing the stalling.

Moicano understandably had a completely different concern. In 2019, he was definitely fighting a much better version of the Brazilian legend and a victory could’ve helped him secure a title shot. After UFC 307, Moicano believes he should’ve held Aldo against the cage as well but admitted that he wasn’t aware of the strategy.

“I’m so mad that I lose to José Aldo because if I knew that he could not escape to the cage, I would do the same thing. Because, when I was like, supposed to fight José Aldo, I say, okay, I’m not taking this motherf****r down because he has a 100%…90% takedown defense ratio. But, he cannot escape the cage, unbelievable! Because Mario Bautista is not strong, he doesn’t look strong.”

The Brazilian fighters did acknowledge that Aldo might’ve been less active in the clinch because of fatigue. It is important to note that the fight took place in Salt Lake City, Utah, a venue notorious for affecting athletes’ cardio because of altitude.

The UFC lightweight contender also went against the masses and claimed that having Aldo on his resume will benefit Bautista in the long run. The likes of Merab Dvalishvili and Alexander Volkanovski were criticized for how they beat the former UFC featherweight champ too but over the years, their wins aged like fine wine.

“You know, once you beat a guy like José Aldo. Remember Merab or Volkanovski, everybody was talking s**t about the performance back in the day. Nobody cares anymore. Everybody say he beat Aldo, you know, and I think it’s going to be exactly the same. People forget.”

Moicano didn’t agree with Burns and stated Aldo was robbed at UFC 307, though. He just identifies several positives for Bautista as well and thinks that the American bantamweight contender can still turn his career around for good.

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Renato Moicano Explains Why Five Fighters Have No Business Being Higher Ranked Than Him After UFC Paris Win

Despite his dominant performance against Benoît Saint Denis in the main event this past weekend, Renato Moicano has been left unsatisfied. The lightweight contender earned his fourth consecutive win but did not move up in the rankings at 155-pounds. He came into the fight as the #11-ranked contender, facing Saint Denis who was one spot […]

Continue Reading Renato Moicano Explains Why Five Fighters Have No Business Being Higher Ranked Than Him After UFC Paris Win at MMA News.

Despite his dominant performance against Benoît Saint Denis in the main event this past weekend, Renato Moicano has been left unsatisfied.

The lightweight contender earned his fourth consecutive win but did not move up in the rankings at 155-pounds.

He came into the fight as the #11-ranked contender, facing Saint Denis who was one spot below him following his loss to Dustin Poirier early this year.

“Money” Moicano is still sat on the fringes of the top 10 even after producing his best performance to date, and the Brazilian isn’t happy about that.

Renato Moicano Explains Why He Believes He Should Be The #6-Ranked Lightweight Right Now

Posting on X, Moicano voiced his frustration as to why he hasn’t moved up several places in the rankings.

He made the case that regardless of him beating a fighter that was ranked below him, he should be just outside the top 5 based on his activity.

“If UFC Rankings Aren’t Total Bullshit, I Should Be Ranked #6 in the Lightweight Division Tomorrow. Why? In the last 8 months, I’ve fought 3 times and I’m on a 6-fight win streak in the lightweight division, with 5 stoppages. Yet, ranked above me are:”

Moicano proceeded to name five fighters that he believes he should be above in the rankings, due to their lack of activity and recent form.

Going case-by-case, he gave reasoning for each person that by his logic, would see him jump all the way up to the #6 spot.

“#10 Max Holloway: A legend, but he’s a 145 and will be facing Topuria for the featherweight belt at UFC 308. Even if he loses, his spot in the lightweight rankings makes no sense. He just beat Gaethje, so if anything, he should be ranked #3. I’d gladly take #7 if that was case.”

“#9 Rafael Fiziev: Coming off 2 losses to Mateusz Gamrot and Justin Gaethje. His last fight was in September 2023. #8 Mateusz Gamrot: Coming off a loss to Dan Hooker in August 2024.

“#7 Beneil Dariush: Coming off 2 losses to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan. His last fight was in December 2023.”

“#6 Michael Chandler: If anyone doesn’t deserve this spot, it’s Michael Chandler. He’s 2-3 in the UFC, coming off a loss to Dustin Poirier in November 2022. Since then, he’s been sitting out, waiting for Conor McGregor’s return, and only now decided to fight Charles Oliveira.”

“There’s no way I’m not #6 in the lightweight division right now.”

Read also: UFC Veteran Picks Justin Gaethje Over Dustin Poirier & Paddy Pimblett As Renato Moicano’s ‘Glaringly Obvious’ Next Opponent

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UFC Veteran Picks Justin Gaethje Over Dustin Poirier & Paddy Pimblett As Renato Moicano’s ‘Glaringly Obvious’ Next Opponent

Renato Moicano has won four fights in a row for the first time in his UFC career. Headlining UFC Paris couldn’t have been better for the Brazilian as he put a beating on Benoit Saint-Denis in front of the latter’s home crowd and gave an entertaining post-fight interview yet again. Moicano has emerged as an […]

Continue Reading UFC Veteran Picks Justin Gaethje Over Dustin Poirier & Paddy Pimblett As Renato Moicano’s ‘Glaringly Obvious’ Next Opponent at MMA News.

Renato Moicano has won four fights in a row for the first time in his UFC career. Headlining UFC Paris couldn’t have been better for the Brazilian as he put a beating on Benoit Saint-Denis in front of the latter’s home crowd and gave an entertaining post-fight interview yet again.

Moicano has emerged as an anti-hero in the UFC lightweight division. He disses fellow fighters and the crowds but the “Money Moicano” gimmick has sat extremely well with the fans.

Moicano is arguably at his career best in terms of momentum and popularity right now. According to Chael Sonnen, Justin Gaethje is the ideal next opponent for the American Top Team fighter…

Chael Sonnen Explains How Justin Gaethje Could Make Renato Moicano A UFC Star

Sonnen discussed Moicano’s next UFC opponent on his YouTube channel recently. Although the UFC Paris winner called out the likes of Dan Hooker and Paddy Pimblett in his post-fight interview, “The American Gangster” has many reasons to believe that Gaethje is a better matchup.

“Moicano’s next fight is Justin Gaethje. Now, that is exactly what my response would be. For me, that’s like glaringly obvious.”

For starters, Gaethje is coming off a loss but he’s still one of the biggest draws in the promotion. The fight with Moicano gives the former title challenger hope to restart his run while for the Brazilian, it is a great opportunity to make himself known to as many mainstream fans as possible.

“If you got over on Dustin Poirier, you could then do anything. Fight for titles, main events, there’d be no argument that you couldn’t fit nicely into. And, Justin Gaethje brings those same accolades but there’s one difference which is you don’t have to be as careful with the bookings of Gaethje because he is not a in a situation where he’s saying my next one is my final.”

With a win over Gaethje, Moicano will have a name big enough to headline most of his events and even fight for the title. Sonnen’s thought process here isn’t new, to be fair. The UFC usually pits rising stars against veterans to build new names.

This is where Moicano’s age comes in, though. He’s not a prospect and in fact, has been in the UFC for over ten years. At 35, he’s likely on his final title run at lightweight and would want the biggest matchups out there.

According to Sonnen, Gaethje makes more sense than Poirier because “The Diamond” is adamant about retiring after his next fight and he might be hesitant to agree to Moicano who’s yet to become a top draw.

Sonnen also declined Pimblett as a potential opponent for Moicano because they both portray a likable heel personality. Instead of booking them against each other and derailing at least one hype train, the UFC would want to build them both and capitalize on a much bigger fight later on.

Continue Reading UFC Veteran Picks Justin Gaethje Over Dustin Poirier & Paddy Pimblett As Renato Moicano’s ‘Glaringly Obvious’ Next Opponent at MMA News.

‘Who Was The Real God Of War Last Night?’ – Fans React After Renato Moicano Wins At UFC Paris Despite Severe Broken Shoulder [Graphic]

Renato Moicano’s dominant victory in the main event of UFC Paris this past weekend was made even more impressive by some news that came out in the aftermath. Kevin Iole shared images of a gruesome shoulder injury that the Brazilian lightweight contender had suffered, as the journalist understood, in the second round against Benoît Saint-Denis. Moicano, […]

Continue Reading ‘Who Was The Real God Of War Last Night?’ – Fans React After Renato Moicano Wins At UFC Paris Despite Severe Broken Shoulder [Graphic] at MMA News.

Renato Moicano’s dominant victory in the main event of UFC Paris this past weekend was made even more impressive by some news that came out in the aftermath.

Kevin Iole shared images of a gruesome shoulder injury that the Brazilian lightweight contender had suffered, as the journalist understood, in the second round against Benoît Saint-Denis.

Moicano, however, later clarified that this was the result of an injury that he had suffered during his training camp, 3 weeks before the fight.

He refused to pull out of the UFC Paris main event and as a result, would end up earning his fourth consecutive win at 155 pounds.

“I hurt my shoulder 3 weeks ago… but I couldn’t pull out of a main event… thank you my team for helping me training like that e get me ready for the fight”

As the x-ray clearly shows, Moicano fought Saint-Denis with a cleanly broken shoulder bone, that jutted out out of skin.

MMA Fans React To Renato Moicano’s Injury Details

MMA fans were already quick to shower Moicano with praise following his devastating display in the French capital.

After taking Saint Denis down early in the fight, he earned a 10-8 round across all three scorecards due to some ruthless ground and pound that led to his opponent wearing significant damage on his face.

The fight was then stopped at the end of the second round after the doctor declared that the Frenchman couldn’t see out of one eye.

On social media, MMA fans reacted to Moicano revealing more details about his injury:

“Moicano’s stock is massively up after last night.”

“Savage. That’s no bs injury neither. Who was the real God of war last night #easymoney“

“Mcgregor pulled out for a pinky toe yall”

“I had the same injury… I couldn’t even sleep at night because the pain was too much… idk how he did this against a super tough opponent”

“You hear that? I don’t want to ever hear BSD’s staph excuse again”

“Damn is this why he started to slow down a bit? $$$Moicano”

“When Moicano Wants Money, Moicano is invincible”

“Benoit being like ‘I can see out of my left one’ is SAVAGE”

Read also: Paddy Pimblett Gives 3-Word Reaction To Renato Moicano’s Callout At UFC Paris

Continue Reading ‘Who Was The Real God Of War Last Night?’ – Fans React After Renato Moicano Wins At UFC Paris Despite Severe Broken Shoulder [Graphic] at MMA News.

‘Looks Like He Fought 10 Rounds’ – MMA Fans React As Renato Moicano Disfigures Benoît Saint Denis In Brutal Beating At UFC Paris

Benoît Saint Denis was left with quite the battle scars on his face as the doctor stepped in to stop his UFC Paris fight with Renato Moicano. The Brazilian put on a completely dominating display in the opening round, taking the fight to the ground early and having over four minutes of control time there. […]

Continue Reading ‘Looks Like He Fought 10 Rounds’ – MMA Fans React As Renato Moicano Disfigures Benoît Saint Denis In Brutal Beating At UFC Paris at MMA News.

Benoît Saint Denis was left with quite the battle scars on his face as the doctor stepped in to stop his UFC Paris fight with Renato Moicano.

The Brazilian put on a completely dominating display in the opening round, taking the fight to the ground early and having over four minutes of control time there. He landed some vicious ground-and-pound on Saint Denis, busting up his face.

Moicano appeared to take the second frame off, as Saint Denis pressed forward. The damage, however, was not getting any better.

The doctor observed “God of War” and his severely swollen eyes after the second round, and it was determined that Saint Denis’ vision in his right eye was obscured, causing the fight to be waved off.

Benoît Saint Denis Left Battered As Doctor Steps In To Stop UFC Paris Main Event vs. Renato Moicano

Moicano has now won four straight and scored three finishes in this stretch. He called out Paddy Pimblett following the fight after “The Baddy” expressed interest in fighting him post-UFC 304 this past July.

After winning 13 of 15 to start his MMA career, meanwhile, Saint Denis has now dropped back-to-back outings after previously getting finished by Dustin Poirier at UFC 299 in March.

Continue Reading ‘Looks Like He Fought 10 Rounds’ – MMA Fans React As Renato Moicano Disfigures Benoît Saint Denis In Brutal Beating At UFC Paris at MMA News.