UFC lightweight contender Renato Moicano disclosed that a high-ranking UFC executive personally contacted him after news broke about his decision to decline nearly $200,000 from the antitrust lawsuit settlement.
Speaking candidly on the Show Me The Money podcast, Moicano shared that UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell reached out directly, encouraging him to reconsider his stance and accept the settlement money.
“Even Hunter called me and said ‘hey take the [money], take the [money]’,” Moicano revealed. “And I said ‘Hunter, it’s not about you brother, don’t worry too much. I don’t care about what you think or Dana White thinks. I don’t care, it’s about what I believe.'”
The Brazilian contender’s decision to refuse the settlement has generated significant discussion within the MMA community, with various interpretations of his motivations emerging. Former UFC heavyweight turned podcaster Brendan Schaub notably suggested that Moicano’s refusal was a strategic move to curry favor with UFC management.
This characterization particularly frustrated Moicano, who emphasized that his decision stemmed from personal principles rather than organizational politics.
“The only thing that drove me crazy was people saying what Brendan Schaub did, saying for example, ‘Oh he did it as like a chess move to the UFC to make more money.’ That was the thing that made me [upset],” Moicano explained. “I was like, ‘Come on, that’s not why the guy did it. The guy actually has principles.'”
Moicano further elaborated on his perspective regarding Schaub’s comments: “People see through their own lens, so maybe he would think that. Maybe he’s saying if I did that, it’s because of that. But he doesn’t know me, he never talked to me. I don’t know him. He doesn’t have a clue about what I believe.”
The fighter made it abundantly clear that his decision wasn’t about maintaining a favorable relationship with UFC leadership.
“It’s not for the UFC, for sure. I could not care less. That’s the truth,” Moicano stated emphatically.
Moicano is among the small percentage of eligible contenders who declined their portion of the antitrust settlement funds. While most accepted the compensation, Moicano’s stance has highlighted questions about fighter principles in professional combat sports.
