#11 ranked lightweight contender Renato Moicano is aware of the test awaiting him on enemy soil in Paris this weekend, but the bullish Brazilian intends to seize Benoit Saint Denis’ rising star status – even if the 28-year-old is ranked one spot below him – after the Frenchman was agonisingly close to a stunning stoppage win over former interim champion Dustin Poirier last time out.
Moicano: UFC knows BSD’s value – here to prove I’m better
[11] Renato Moicano vs. Benoit Saint-Denis [12]
Lightweight main event between ranked contenders
UFC Paris live from Accor Arena, ringwalks around 10pm BST
FOR all the talk, hard-to-ignore braggadocio and exciting tendencies Renato Moicano shows in the cage, listen to the man himself and you’ll understand he’s playing his role well. He hasn’t made it this far by accident, and took notes along the way.
He’s fought a who’s who across two weight divisions: Brian Ortega, Cub Swanson, Jose Aldo, The Korean Zombie, Rafael dos Anjos and more and at 35-years-old, is ageing far better now than the previous half-decade before his three-fight win streak.
Currently experiencing the joint-best winning run dating back to his December 2014 debut, he’s nearing a ten-year anniversary with the world’s premier MMA promotion and appears eager to shorten the impact of lost time in a way that’ll set him up for maximum earnings and star power, even if he never captures championship gold.
Lightweight needs new contenders for reigning champion Islam Makhachev and while he’s already in his mid-30s armed with experience aplenty, openings are there if he continues to generate genuine interest the way he has over the past 18 months.
Since losing a catchweight bout with Rafael dos Anjos in March 2022…
April 2024, Jalin Turner: R2 TKO (elbows and punches, 4:11)
February 2024, Drew Dober: UD3 (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
November 2022, Brad Riddell: R1 submission (3:20) via rear-naked choke
At the media day, he accepted Saint-Denis isn’t like the ‘easy money’ opponents he wants for big money but showed an awareness that victory could propel him to greater things even if his ranking might not catapult like Dan Hooker’s did recently.
“Definitely, Benoit is not easy money and that’s why he’s in the position he is right now. We’re fighting in France right? UFC knows his value, but I’m here to prove I’m better – to beat him. I think the rankings don’t matter.
If they did, things will be easier but no, we saw like last month, Dan Hooker beating Mateusz [Gamrot] and they were pretty far [apart] on the rankings. We see some guys, like even [Conor] McGregor, back in the day – I don’t know how many years without fighting and he was in the rankings.
I think this sport, we have to try to see the opportunity, momentum. Even though he’s ranked behind me, he has a lot of momentum and popularity, especially in Europe, and that could catapult me, not to the rankings but to popularity – I could get even better fights.”
#15 ranked Paddy Pimblett produced a career-best win over Bobby Green last time out and has spoken about facing Moicano in the past, a potential matchup they can revisit in December or early next year should he prevail this weekend.
UFC Paris card, as it stands
Main card
Lightweight: Renato Moicano [11] vs. Benoit Saint-Denis [12]
Middleweight: Nassourdine Imavov [4] vs. Brendan Allen [8]
Featherweight: William Gomis vs. Joanderson Brito
Welterweight: Bryan Battle vs. Kevin Jousset
Featherweight: Morgan Charriere vs. Gabriel Miranda
Lightweight: Fares Ziam vs. Matt Frevola
Prelims
Light-heavyweight: Ion Cutelaba vs. Ivan Erslan
Light-heavy: Oumar Sy vs. Jung Da-woon
Lightweight: L’udovit Klein vs. Roosevelt Roberts
Bantamweight: Taylor Lapilus vs. Vince Morales
Women’s bantamweight: Ailin Perez [15] vs. Darya Zheleznyakova
Flyweight: Daniel Barez vs. Victor Altamirano
Women’s bantam: Jacqueline Cavalcanti vs. Nora Cornolle
Lightweight: Chris Duncan vs. Bolaji Oki
Picture source: Getty Images, quotes hyperlinked
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