Athletes
Renato Moicano: "He's Good, But I'm Better"
Brazilian Lightweight Contender Plans On Getting His Hand Raised In A Near-silent Accor Arena By Defeating French Star Benoît Saint Denis In Paris
Renato Moicano is on a tear, and he’s not prepared to let a fight behind enemy lines derail his momentum.
Brazil’s Moicano is ranked 11th in the official UFC lightweight rankings, and has the task of defending his spot against the man listed one spot below him, France’s Benoit Saint Denis, this weekend at UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Saint Denis.
The higher-ranked fighter may be the first name on the poster, but he’s fighting in his opponent’s backyard, and he plans on silencing the raucous French crowd on Saturday night by extending his current win streak to four with victory in Paris.
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“Yeah, the arena is going to be cheering for him, for sure,” he told UFC.com during a fight week conversation at the fighter hotel in the French capital.
"We’re in France. I’m not expecting any love from the fans, and I don’t want any love. I want the hate! Let’s go! We’ll go into the arena, a packed arena, and as soon as the fight goes, they’re gonna be a little bit quiet.
“I’m pretty sure the fight's going to start very loud, and then, once I adjust, once I start to win the exchanges, the grappling, the striking, I think the fans are gonna be surprised.”
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Moicano’s stock has risen significantly since he made the decision to move up from featherweight to lightweight in 2020. Already one of the world’s best at 145 pounds, his decision to move up to 155 was something of a gamble, but it’s fair to say it’s paying off.
He’s 6-2 as a UFC lightweight, with his only losses at 155 pounds coming against contender Rafael Fiziev and former champion Rafael Dos Anjos. They’re more than outweighed by victories over a host of notable names, with wins over Damir Hadzovic, Jai Herbert, Alexander Hernandez, Brad Riddell, Drew Dober and, in his last outing, Jalin Turner, putting him in stellar form heading into his Paris showcase this weekend.
The secret to his form, according to Moicano, is as much about his mindset as it is his skillset. His devil-may-care approach to fights and almost total lack of fear of defeat has seen his performances hit new heights, and he’s relishing every moment as he fights for the people closest to him.
“(The secret is to) Not care too much. I'm not caring. I don't care,” he said.
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“Everything happens for a reason. I truly believe in God, and I think God has what is best for me. So I'm not spending hours at night thinking about the fight. No. I'm just relaxing, doing the best that I can – that is training, doing my diet, running, doing all the stuff that we do.
“But, once I sleep, I don't think too much about that, and I'm not putting too much pressure, because, at the end of the day, I'm doing this because I love it. I’m doing this for myself, for my family, and that's what matters to me.”
Moicano will bring that fearless approach into the Octagon on Saturday night when he faces “The God of War” Saint Denis in Paris. It’s a matchup Moicano thinks should produce an exciting matchup, as he gets set to face a fighter who is renowned for his come-forward fighting style.
“I think he brings aggression. He’s very aggressive, he's strong, he's tall – he's complete,” said Moicano.
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“He's good, but I'm better. I think I'm better than him. I'm not taking anything from him. I think he's a great fighter, but I'm here to win, and I cannot afford to lose.
“I see myself winning. I see my hand raised. I don't know how, it's gonna really depend. We saw him in his last fight against Dustin Poirier and he came guns blazing, tried the takedown, and I don’t know if he will try that. Maybe (he will), because he’s in Paris, he’s gonna have the support of the whole arena. So maybe, but maybe he's coming off a loss, so he’s going to be more composed. It really depends on how Benoit will fight.”
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Moicano is loving life, inside and outside the cage. While his performances in the cage are earning him plaudits, his personality has earned him some paying gigs outside the Octagon, too, with Moicano picking up the mic to provide some spirited color commentary on UFC FIGHT PASS for Cage Fury Fighting Championships.
“It was very funny to do the commentating for UFC FIGHT PASS, at CFFC and other shows,” he said.
“My English is not the greatest, but I do what I can to try to make the fans excited about the fights. It’s been a good year for me.
And, if Moicano gets past Saint Denis on Saturday night, he’d be more than happy to share the Octagon – and a season of The Ultimate Fighter – with another European lightweight star, Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett.
“Easy money, easy money!” he grinned.
“How good would that be?! Two motherf*****s that don’t speak in English, on national TV! People are gonna have trouble understanding that! Subtitles everywhere!
“But it’s going to be fun, and I think that’s what the UFC needs, right? Because The Ultimate Fighter is not only about fighting, it’s about entertainment and character, and I think that would be a nice show. I would be happy to do that.”
UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Saint Denis took place live from Accor Arena in Paris, France on September 28, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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