Renato Moicano, following his win over Drew Dober at UFC Vegas 85, has revealed his plan to set up a fight with Paddy Pimblett, with the two already exchanging words on social media.
Renato Moicano’s got his sights set on Paddy Pimblett. Fresh off a brutal win over Drew Dober at UFC Vegas 85, Moicano’s got a plan. He spilled the beans on The MMA Hour, hinting at a showdown with Pimblett.
They’ve been at it on social media already. Moicano first threw out the idea of Dober and Pimblett duking it out. Pimblett shot back, suggesting he and Moicano should go toe-to-toe instead.
Moicano’s game. He’s got a roundabout strategy for calling out Pimblett, rather than going straight for the jugular post-win. He explained, “UFC’s got Pimblett under wraps. How am I supposed to call him out? This ain’t checkers, it’s chess. I’m not about to spill my strategy.”
He added, “Everyone’s in the know now. But if I just said, ‘Hey Paddy Pimblett, I’m gonna whoop you,’ that’s old news. So, I decided to bait him. If I beat Dober and say Dober could take you, he’ll get riled up. He’ll say, ‘I could take you. You beat Dober.’ End of the day, ‘Money’ Moicano wins. It’s chess, not checkers.”
Moicano’s been out of the cage for 15 months. His co-main event fight at UFC Vegas 85 was his first since his UFC 281 submission win over Brad Riddell. He’s on a roll, winning two straight fights and four of his last five.
He’s open to a face-off with Pimblett in Brazil or England. He said, “If you say you’ll smoke me, UFC can’t protect you. You’ve put your name on the line. If you want to fight in Brazil, I’m ready. But if you’re too scared, I get it. Brazil’s a bit dicey. But I can fight you anywhere. You’re easy money. I respect you, but I’ll beat you.”
Moicano’s not sure if his plan will pan out. Pimblett’s on standby, expecting his first child in April. Moicano’s also called out Beneil Dariush, who’s ranked higher than Pimblett.
Whoever’s next, Moicano’s ready to make waves (and cash) in the octagon. He said, “Who knows? Maybe UFC will see value in me being myself. Maybe they’ll say, ‘OK, Moicano can fight Pimblett.’ Or not. Maybe they’ll protect him and find another way to put me in the top 15. Doesn’t matter. If he wants to fight, I’m here. Just send the contract. If not, I’ll keep climbing the rankings. Moicano is money and the money’s at the top.”
At 34, Moicano’s not getting any younger. He wants to stay active. He said, “If I did well against Dober, imagine against Pimblett. That would be amazing. My ticket to the top 10, top 5 of the division.”