Surging lightweight contender reveals he can beat everyone except Dustin Poirier

Renato Moicano is not willing to step inside the octagon against teammate and former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier.

Surging lightweight contender reveals he can beat everyone except Dustin Poirier

Renato Moicano will reject Dustin Poirier matchup (via Imago)

Renato Moicano is currently on the rise and has stacked up a four-fight win streak. The Brazilian is eager to continue the momentum and reach his ultimate goal of becoming the lightweight champion. To do that, Moicano is ready to fight anybody except former title contender Dustin Poirier. 

Renato Moicano and Dustin Poirier represent the American Top Team (ATT) MMA gym and frequently train with each other. Moicano is a huge fan of Poirier’s fighting style and resilience as a competitor. In a recent interview, the Brazilian discussed why he didn’t want to fight Poirier.

I’m the best fighter in the lightweight division, I can beat anybody. I just cannot beat Dustin Poirier. The rest I can beat everybody in this division. 

Renato Moicano via The Ariel Helwani Show
YouTube video

Renato Moicano recently revealed that he’s often sparred with Dustin Poirier and consistently come up short against ‘The Diamond.’ Because of this, he’s not keen on facing Poirier in an actual fight, considering it a losing battle. Instead, Moicano prefers to focus on other top contenders. In his last bout against Benoit Saint-Denis, he applied some advice from Poirier and secured a TKO victory.

FS Video

It was an incredible fight as Moicano injured himself while he destroyed the Frenchman in his home country. After the win, Moicano became a fan following owing to his controversial octagon interview. The lightweight fighter also called out big names such as Dan Hooker and Paddy Pimblett.

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Renato Moicano doesn’t think he will fight Paddy Pimblett 

Paddy Pimblett and Renato Moicano have been going back and forth for some time now. Recently, Pimblett, in his YouTube video, talked about his closest route to a lightweight title shot. According to the Brit, beating Moicano and Charles Oliveira could give him a title opportunity against Islam Makhachev. 

Renato Moicano vs. Paddy Pimblet
Renato Moicano vs. Paddy Pimblet (via X)

While Moicano isn’t opposed to fighting Paddy Pimblett, he doubts the matchup will materialize. Pimblett is a fan favorite and a potential ‘golden goose’ for the UFC. Moicano believes the promotion won’t risk him defeating Pimblett and derailing his hype.

What’s the point of making this fight? Money Moicano will smash Paddy Pimblett. And they [UFC] are going to lose a very good product.

Renato Moicano via The Ariel Helwani Show 
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Other than Pimblett, Moicano is also ready to fight Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje. Recently, the Brazilian fighter promised to knock out the ‘Highlight’ in a potential clash. Moicano is an entertaining fighter, and fans are excited to see him return to the octagon. It would be interesting to see how the UFC capitalizes on this hype.