Renato Moicano has long had his sights set on a fight with Paddy Pimblett. It’s been his Holy Grail of matchups. However, something changed after UFC 304 in July after Pimblett demolished King Green in the first round, and Moicano’s tune started to shift. But oddly, he has some controversial stuff to say about none other than Dan Hooker.
Moicano revealed that he was impressed with Pimblett’s performance against Green. He now viewed ‘The Baddy’ as a viable opponent worthy of his respect. But the comments didn’t stop there. He even went as far as to say Pimblett might be a tougher matchup than the #5 ranked lightweight.
“I am very impressed. I think after the Bobby Green fight, I think Paddy Pimblett is a tougher matchup than Dan Hooker,” said Moicano while talking to MMA Fighting.
Renato Moicano confessed he was once a Pimblett doubter. But don’t think his newfound respect means he’s backing down from a fight. He is still chomping at the bit to face Pimblett down the line.
Meanwhile, Dan Hooker is sitting pretty after his victory in the 5-round fight against Mateusz Gamrot. His rankings are above both the #11 Renato Moicano and the #15 Paddy Pimblett. So he doesn’t have to chase anyone. They will have to strive for an opportunity to fight him.
Renato Moicano Revealed Why He Wanted To Punch Chael Sonnen
Moicano, the Brazilian UFC lightweight, recently spilled some beans about his past feelings towards Chael Sonnen. Back in the day, before Moicano even stepped foot in the UFC octagon, he harbored some serious beef with Sonnen. Well, it turns out Chael Sonnen had a knack for ruffling Brazilian feathers.
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Moicano confessed that he once considered buying a ticket to The Ultimate Fighter to sucker punch Sonnen. The American fighter had a reputation for running his mouth, especially regarding Brazilian fighters and culture. This didn’t sit well with the patriotic Moicano.
“I used to hate Chael Sonnen…I remember I was not even in the UFC, and I was thinking about buying a (ticket to the fights) just to sucker punch Chael Sonnen when he was doing The Ultimate Fighter because he was talking sh*t about Brazil all the time, and I was very offended by that,” Moicano admitted via Home of The Fight.
Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and Moicano never followed through with his plan. Instead, he channeled that energy into his own fighting career. Maybe he could channel that inner fury in preparing for his main event bout against Benoit Saint-Denis in Paris.
Also Read: Lightweight Ace Dan Hooker Threatens Renato Moicano Over the Claims Made by the Star Grappler
