Renato Moicano just lost a big opportunity.
MMA Fighting confirmed with sources with knowledge of the change that Moicano has been forced out of his UFC Vegas 72 lightweight bout against Arman Tsarukyan, which was to headline the April 29 UFC APEX card. The news was first reported by MMA Junkie.
According to sources, Moicano’s withdrawal is due to a knee injury.
It is not yet known if a new opponent will be found for Tsarukyan, or if another bout will be moved into the main event slot.
Moicano looked to follow up on a memorable submission win over Brad Riddell this past November at UFC 281, which was capped off by his “Moicano wants money” post-fight promo that quickly went viral. The former featherweight is 4-2 since moving up to the 155-pound division.
Tsarukyan is one of the fastest-rising stars on the lightweight roster, with wins in six of his past seven fights. In his most recent outing this past December, he won a unanimous decision over Damir Ismagulov, which was only Ismagulov’s second loss in 26 pro bouts.
Mike Heck and Damon Martin contributed to this report.
