
Renato Moicano lost to Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush prior to his fight at UFC Vegas 115.
Moicano felt significant pressure, believing that a loss could end his MMA career and lead him to pursue streaming instead.
Renato Moicano won the fight against Chris Duncan by rear-naked choke, securing a crucial victory for his career.
His victory at UFC Vegas 115 likely saved his MMA career, allowing him to continue fighting after facing two consecutive losses.
Renato Moicano's victory over Chris Duncan at UFC Vegas 115 likely saved his MMA career after two previous losses. He admitted that a defeat would have meant the end of his fighting journey, potentially leading him to become a streamer instead.
Renato Moicano dominated and finished Chris Duncan in the main event of UFC Vegas 115 on April 4, and that rear-naked choke victory likely saved Moicanoâs fighting career.
Moicano felt his back against the wall after consecutive defeats to Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush in 2025 snapped a four-fight winning streak, the longest of his UFC career. He went from rematching Brian Ortega to battling an unranked replacement at the Meta APEX, but still saw bigger stakes in the fight.
âThere was a lot of pressure,â Moicano told MMA Fighting. âComing off two losses, while also dedicating myself to YouTube. Everyone was saying the same thing he was, âOh, heâs on YouTube, heâs not training.â Man, I was training. And the truth is, if I had lost that fight, my MMA career would have ended right there and I probably wouldâve become a streamer instead.â
âBefore the fight, at times I thought, âDamn, if I lose itâs over, right?â But I wasnât going to retire right there no matter what. If I had lost, I probably wouldâve gone home afterward, all beat up like Chris Duncan is, and thought, âDamn, is this even worth it?â Beating people is easy, the problem is getting beat up [laughs].â
Moicano has gained notoriety as a YouTuber in Brazil, a very profitable career he will embrace full-time once his run as a fighter is over. Even Duncan, his American Top Team teammate, questioned whether his heart was still invested in fighting or on the fence between MMA and a streaming future.
âI really dedicated myself over the last four months,â Moicano said. âAnd it wasnât because I was going to fight Chris Duncan, it was because I was going to fight Ortega, a guy who had already beaten me. If I lost twice to the same guy, then it really wouldâve been over. It was a chance to close a chapter against Brian Ortega, but unfortunately he pulled out of the fight.â
Moicano said he took his gloves off after the victory to âbaitâ people to believe he was about to announce his retirement, but it never crossed his head to do it after a stoppage victory Saturday night. Now back to the winning column, Moicano asks the UFC to re-book him against Ortega as the main event of a Fight Night card in Brazil.
âI have a lot of popularity, we could fill an arena,â Moicano said. âI think Paddy Pimblett would be ideal because heâs the most popular and just fought for a belt, but I donât think that fight will happen. [Benoit St. Denis] doesnât make sense since Iâve already beaten him. He wonât want to fight me again. What does he gain? Then thereâs Dan Hooker, which I think is a great fight. Heâs in a position where he canât turn down too many fights. But I also donât think the UFC will match up two veterans in a similar situation. The fight that would make the most sense for the UFC would be Moicano vs. Ortega. Why? Because it was already booked once.â
âI have no problem saying Iâve turned down fights because Iâm at a point in my career where I have to think about myself,â he added. âIâve taken fights on three daysâ notice against a former champion [Rafael dos Anjos], Iâve fought Jose Aldo, I fought [Islam] Makhachev on short notice. If someone wants to call me soft, go ahead. Iâm sure I can fight anyone in the world. Itâs just that it doesnât make sense for me to fight just anyone right now, especially now that Iâm also creating content. What do I gain from that? I fought Chris Duncan, and like I said at the end, what do I gain? I want to fight guys who are easier but have a name, have a ranking. Thatâs why I mentioned Ortega, Dan Hooker, BSD. It has to be a fight that makes sense.â
The UFC has no plans for a Brazil card in 2026 at the moment. Moicano, however, believes things could change for the second half of the year.
âIf itâs a numbered event, not even [Alex Pereira] âPoatanâ will fight in Brazil,â Moicano said. âNo chance. Heâll fight at the White House and then theyâll try to make him fight Jon Jones. Thatâs the fight to make. I still have hope for that one. As for a numbered event in Brazil, it would be Charles [Oliveira]. And if not Charles, then Moicano has a great chance because Iâm very popular. Thatâs the truth. People like me and not even because of fighting, but because of my YouTube channel.â
âBut the UFC is very involved with politics, and we know thereâs a lot going on,â he continued. âNot only the war in Iran, but also a war for economic control. The United States has been increasing its influence in places like Venezuela and beyond. More and more, I think the United States will want to build stronger influence over Brazil because of its natural resources. Brazil has a ton of them. So I think relations between Brazil and the United States will keep getting closer. And since the UFC is connected to Trumpâs circle through Dana White, thereâs a good chance weâll see more events in Brazil. And if thereâs a Fight Night in BrasĂlia, itâs got to be Renato Moicano, so I can go there and talk some trash.â
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