Renato Moicano is looking to fight sooner rather than later, but for an opponent like Justin Gaethje he’s willing to wait.
Fresh off his second-round stoppage win over Benoit Saint Denis in the UFC Paris main event, Moicano wasted no time looking ahead at what’s next. With four wins in a row in the UFC’s ultra-competitive lightweight division, the 35-year-old Brazilian believes he’s earned the opportunity to face a big name, but more than anything he wants the chance to move closer to a title shot.
“I would fight anybody above me in the rankings,” Moicano told MMA Fighting. “Justin Gaethje, everybody really. I don’t care. I want to keep fighting, like I keep telling everybody I’m 35, I need to go. That’s time to go. I need one more win. I need a title shot.
“Depending on the opponent and how my next fight goes, that definitely could be a title shot next. I want to fight as soon as possible.”
Gaethje is an intriguing possibility as one of the most recognized names in the division with a style that always provides entertaining fights. The former interim lightweight champion hasn’t fought since April when he suffered a devastating knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300, but he’s been teasing his return in recent weeks. Gaethje’s longtime manager Ali Abdelaziz told MMA Fighting he would likely come back in March.
While Moicano is anxious to book his next fight, Gaethje is one name that would make him hit the pause button and wait if the UFC came calling with that matchup.
“I can wait to fight Justin Gaethje in March, 100 percent,” Moicano said. “I see no problems. Especially him coming off a knockout, I think I am a good fight to test him against, especially because he’s a wrestler. He can defend takedowns. I think that would be an awesome fight. So I would wait until March for Gaethje.”
Throughout his UFC career, Gaethje has built a reputation as arguably the most exciting fighter on the entire roster, earning a remarkable eight Fight of the Night bonuses. Overall, Gaethje has racked up 13 bonuses in 13 appearances in the UFC and he’s the only fighter in the history of the promotion to earn a post-fight bonus in each of his first seven fights with the company.
Past opponents like Dustin Poirier have compared fighting Gaethje to going through a car crash — even if you survive, you still don’t walk away unscathed. That sort of opponent requires a different kind of mindset, but Moicano promises he’s more than ready for whatever Gaethje throws at him and he’ll fire back with the same bad intentions.
“I would beat Justin Gaethje. I don’t care,” Moicano said. “I don’t really care. He could be the baddest guy on the planet, the ‘BMF’ and stuff but I don’t care. I’m not losing. If they send me the contract, I will knock him the f*ck out. I’m telling you.
“I’m not going to say I’m not going to shoot for a takedown because I will, but I will try to knock him out, too. Ground-and-pound, standup, I don’t care.”
Despite the run he’s on right now, Moicano recognizes time waits for no one and fighters finding success on the other side of 30 is rare in this sport. That’s one reason why he’s so anxious to find out about his next fight so he can get back to work in the gym and start getting ready.
In an ideal world, Moicano would fight somebody like Gaethje next and then move on to a title shot before 2025 is over.
“I’m not losing,” Moicano said. “I can’t afford to lose, literally. I need to win every fight to get to the belt and now it’s my time.
“I don’t know the plans for Gaethje. What they’re going to do with Gaethje. Will Gaethje fight Poirier again like last fight? They could do that but if they don’t do that, I’m here. I’m here to get my title shot after I beat Justin Gaethje.”
