Renato Moicano did not hold back during the post-match press conference following his victory over Chris Duncan at UFC FN in Las Vegas. After returning to the win column for the first time since his loss in Paris in September 2024, the Brazilian lightweight made it clear he has no interest in repeating nights like this one.
Much of his frustration was directed at the event setting, the matchmaking, and the overall value of the match to his career.
Speaking about the card and the promotion’s smaller venue, the UFC Apex, Moicano was blunt “This Apex card today was f***ing s**t. I don’t know why I don’t listen to that. You’re having Moicano, who has a main event in f***ing Apex? You kidding me?” he said.
He was just as direct when discussing his opponent and the lack of name recognition attached to the matchup. “Who is f***ing Chris Duncan, bro? That match doesn’t add to my career. Doesn’t add to my YouTube,” he said.
Moicano explained that he accepted the bout largely out of necessity after suffering back-to-back losses, but emphasized that it was not a matchup that meaningfully advanced his brand or profile.
“I took that match because I was like a two-bout losing skid, but he’s not famous. Nobody knows him,” he said.
At 37 years old, Moicano noted that his priorities have shifted as he has built income opportunities outside the octagon, particularly through content creation. That financial independence, he suggested, changes how he evaluates potential opponents.
“The business is, I’m doing stuff outside too, YouTube, and I’m making money outside too. So the guy needs to at least has some hype,” he said.
Looking ahead, Moicano pointed to a shortlist of recognizable names he believes would generate real interest from fans. “It should be a match that I can promote, like Brian Ortega, like Paddy Pimblett, like Dan Hooker, maybe Benoit Saint-Denis, somebody that the fans know. That’s what I’m saying,” he said.
He also cautioned that the UFC’s tendency to pair established contenders with lesser-known but dangerous opponents can be a risky proposition with little upside.
“You have some guys that nobody knows their name and they are very dangerous. I don’t think that’s smart,” he said.
Expanding on that point, Moicano framed the issue less as fear of competition and more as a matter of business strategy at this stage of his career. “It’s not that I don’t want to compete against upcomers, but it needs to be the guy needs…. to be at least has some hype. It’s not about winning and losing. It’s about getting the most hype. People talking about you because this is the business,” he said.
As for what comes next, Moicano made it clear that his preference is to compete in front of a larger crowd, ideally back home in Brazil, and against a recognizable opponent.
“I want to compete in Brazil next time. They could put Brian Ortega and Money Moicano and Paddy Pimblett vs Moicano,he said.
