7 days ago
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Meta Apex in LasVegas on Oct. 31.
Here's how to watch the event.
UFC Vegas 123 streams live in the United States on Paramount+on Saturday, Oct. 31, with the prelims starting at 5 p.m. Eastern/2p.m. Pacific, followed by the main card at 8 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m.Pacific.
Renato"Money" Moicano (21-7-1) faces Tom Nolan(11-1) in the lightweight main event. Moicano is coming off asubmission win over ChrisDuncan in April, rebounding from losses to IslamMakhachev and BeneilDariush. Nolan enters his first UFC main event on a five-fightwinning streak.
Fans in the United Kingdom and Ireland can watch UFC Vegas 123 onTNT Sports. The prelims begin at 9 p.m. GMT on Saturday, Oct. 31,followed by the main card at midnight GMT on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Here's the complete UFC Vegas 123 card as of Oct. 29:
Renato"Money" Moicano vs. Tom Nolan
RandyBrown vs. JacobeSmith
OdeOsbourne vs. CodyDurden
YanaSantos vs. LuanaSantos
Jean-PaulLebosnoyani vs. FarmanHasanov
FrancisMarshall vs. DakotaHope
RodrigoSezinando vs. TheodorBerggren
JulianErosa vs. Jeong YeongLee
ZacharyReese vs. MickeyGall
NickKlein vs. JosephKropschot
TalitaAlencar vs. PieraRodriguez
LuciaSzabova vs. TainaraLisboa
#united
Here's how to watch the event.
UFC Vegas 123 streams live in the United States on Paramount+on Saturday, Oct. 31, with the prelims starting at 5 p.m. Eastern/2p.m. Pacific, followed by the main card at 8 p.m. Eastern/5 p.m.Pacific.
Renato"Money" Moicano (21-7-1) faces Tom Nolan(11-1) in the lightweight main event. Moicano is coming off asubmission win over ChrisDuncan in April, rebounding from losses to IslamMakhachev and BeneilDariush. Nolan enters his first UFC main event on a five-fightwinning streak.
Fans in the United Kingdom and Ireland can watch UFC Vegas 123 onTNT Sports. The prelims begin at 9 p.m. GMT on Saturday, Oct. 31,followed by the main card at midnight GMT on Sunday, Nov. 1.
Here's the complete UFC Vegas 123 card as of Oct. 29:
Renato"Money" Moicano vs. Tom Nolan
RandyBrown vs. JacobeSmith
OdeOsbourne vs. CodyDurden
YanaSantos vs. LuanaSantos
Jean-PaulLebosnoyani vs. FarmanHasanov
FrancisMarshall vs. DakotaHope
RodrigoSezinando vs. TheodorBerggren
JulianErosa vs. Jeong YeongLee
ZacharyReese vs. MickeyGall
NickKlein vs. JosephKropschot
TalitaAlencar vs. PieraRodriguez
LuciaSzabova vs. TainaraLisboa
#united
2 months ago
Brian Ortega is hurt – in more ways than one.
Hours after the promotion announced his withdrawal from UFC 331, Ortega (16-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) shed light on why he pulled out of his scheduled main card bout vs. Renato Moicano just five days prior to Saturday's event at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
As speculated, Ortega suffered a nasty gash over his right eye in training, requiring stitches and resulting in significant swelling. Ortega shares photos of the injury, as well as video from the aftermath of it happening in training.
"This one hurts," Ortega wrote on Instagram. "I have to pull out of the fight because of the stitches in my eye. I'm on weight, I've been training my ******* off, and this has honestly been one of the best camps I've ever had. I was really looking forward to fighting at home in Los Angeles in front of my family, friends, and everyone who's been supporting me.
"My next fight is in soon, so I'm getting right back to training. We've brought some new people into camp and I'm excited to show you guys a new side of me. Thank you to everyone who's been supporting me through all of this. I'll see you guys in November."
#angeles #i 've #right #stitches
Hours after the promotion announced his withdrawal from UFC 331, Ortega (16-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) shed light on why he pulled out of his scheduled main card bout vs. Renato Moicano just five days prior to Saturday's event at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
As speculated, Ortega suffered a nasty gash over his right eye in training, requiring stitches and resulting in significant swelling. Ortega shares photos of the injury, as well as video from the aftermath of it happening in training.
"This one hurts," Ortega wrote on Instagram. "I have to pull out of the fight because of the stitches in my eye. I'm on weight, I've been training my ******* off, and this has honestly been one of the best camps I've ever had. I was really looking forward to fighting at home in Los Angeles in front of my family, friends, and everyone who's been supporting me.
"My next fight is in soon, so I'm getting right back to training. We've brought some new people into camp and I'm excited to show you guys a new side of me. Thank you to everyone who's been supporting me through all of this. I'll see you guys in November."
#angeles #i 've #right #stitches
2 months ago
Brian Ortega has pulled out of his scheduled UFC 331 bout against Renato Moicano with an injury.
'T-City' has endured harship in recent years. The 35-year-old has only managed five fights in the last five years, averaging one per year. But it isn't just his activity that has been slacking. His last win came in early 2024, which is his lone victory in five. Now out of the rankings and looking to move up a division, Ortega needed a stroke of good luck to come his way. That hasn't happened; in fact, bad luck seems to be looming overhead.
After falling out of the fight due to injury in March, Brian Ortega hoped a rescheduled clash against Renato Moicano would go smoothly. But just days ahead of his proposed appearance at UFC 331, injury strikes again.
While classified as an undisclosed injury, a picture has surfaced online that potentially shows the true cause. An image of Ortega with a significant cut and swelling above his left eye has been
With days to prepare for an opponent, Renato Moicano has been removed from the Los Angeles card entirely.
#renato #brian #years #last
'T-City' has endured harship in recent years. The 35-year-old has only managed five fights in the last five years, averaging one per year. But it isn't just his activity that has been slacking. His last win came in early 2024, which is his lone victory in five. Now out of the rankings and looking to move up a division, Ortega needed a stroke of good luck to come his way. That hasn't happened; in fact, bad luck seems to be looming overhead.
After falling out of the fight due to injury in March, Brian Ortega hoped a rescheduled clash against Renato Moicano would go smoothly. But just days ahead of his proposed appearance at UFC 331, injury strikes again.
While classified as an undisclosed injury, a picture has surfaced online that potentially shows the true cause. An image of Ortega with a significant cut and swelling above his left eye has been
With days to prepare for an opponent, Renato Moicano has been removed from the Los Angeles card entirely.
#renato #brian #years #last
2 months ago
UFC 331 has lost a main card fight.
Brian Ortega is out of his scheduled bout vs. Renato Moicano due to injury and will not be replaced, the promotion announced Monday, just five days before Saturday's event at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Instead, Moicano (21-7-1 MMA, 13-7 UFC) will now headline UFC Fight Night 292 vs. Tom Nolan (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC). The event takes place Oct. 31 at Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
No official injury was revealed for Ortega (16-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC), however an Instagram story posted Sunday by Christian rapper Lecrae showed the UFC contender sporting what appeared to be some fairly significant damage around his left eye area.
The change marks the second time Ortega vs. Moicano 2 has been canceled in 2026. It was initially scheduled for March and Ortega withdrew due to injury. Moicano then fought Chris Duncan, who he submitted in Round 2.
#moicano #renato
Brian Ortega is out of his scheduled bout vs. Renato Moicano due to injury and will not be replaced, the promotion announced Monday, just five days before Saturday's event at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Instead, Moicano (21-7-1 MMA, 13-7 UFC) will now headline UFC Fight Night 292 vs. Tom Nolan (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC). The event takes place Oct. 31 at Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
No official injury was revealed for Ortega (16-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC), however an Instagram story posted Sunday by Christian rapper Lecrae showed the UFC contender sporting what appeared to be some fairly significant damage around his left eye area.
The change marks the second time Ortega vs. Moicano 2 has been canceled in 2026. It was initially scheduled for March and Ortega withdrew due to injury. Moicano then fought Chris Duncan, who he submitted in Round 2.
#moicano #renato
2 months ago
The lightweight showdown between Renato Moicano and Brian Ortega has been scrapped from Saturday's UFC 331 card in Los Angeles.
Ortega suffered an undisclosed injury and as a result, his fight has been cancelled and Moicano is no longer competing on the card. Instead, Moicano now faces riding lightweight contender Tom Nolan in the main event for the upcoming UFC Fight Night card scheduled on Oct. 31 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
UFC officials announced the news on Monday.
With Moicano vs. Ortega no longer happening, UFC 331, the card is down to 12 total fights with the heavyweight matchup between Gable Steveson and Sean Sharaf now opening the main card on Saturday night.
UFC 331 is headlined by a flyweight ******* le fight as Joshua Van puts his belt up for grabs against former champion Alexandre Pantoja.
#ortega #lightweight #renato
Ortega suffered an undisclosed injury and as a result, his fight has been cancelled and Moicano is no longer competing on the card. Instead, Moicano now faces riding lightweight contender Tom Nolan in the main event for the upcoming UFC Fight Night card scheduled on Oct. 31 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.
UFC officials announced the news on Monday.
With Moicano vs. Ortega no longer happening, UFC 331, the card is down to 12 total fights with the heavyweight matchup between Gable Steveson and Sean Sharaf now opening the main card on Saturday night.
UFC 331 is headlined by a flyweight ******* le fight as Joshua Van puts his belt up for grabs against former champion Alexandre Pantoja.
#ortega #lightweight #renato
2 months ago
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 14: (L-R) Opponents Joshua Van of Myanmar and Alexandre Pantoja of Brazil face off during the UFC 331 press conference at Xfinity Mobile Arena on August 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)
The next numbered event on the UFC schedule takes place on Saturday, September 19, from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. That event, UFC 331, is headlined by a ***** le fight and a possible ***** le eliminator. In the UFC 331 main event, current flyweight champion Joshua Van puts his ***** le on the line against the man he defeated for that crown, Alexandre Pantoja. Meanwhile, in the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan meets Mauricio Ruffy in a lightweight contest that could determine the next foe for 155-pound champion Justin Gaethje. We look at the opening betting odds and early line movement for the two fights at the top of the UFC 331 marquee.
Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Maurício Ruffy
Patrício Pitbull vs. Choi Doo-ho
Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega
Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski
Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf
Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain
Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brunno Ferreira
Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito
Casey O'Neill vs. Eduarda Moura
Ryan Gandra vs. Osman Diaz
Michael Aswell Jr. vs. Yoo Joo-sang
#alexandre #Event #august #arena
The next numbered event on the UFC schedule takes place on Saturday, September 19, from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. That event, UFC 331, is headlined by a ***** le fight and a possible ***** le eliminator. In the UFC 331 main event, current flyweight champion Joshua Van puts his ***** le on the line against the man he defeated for that crown, Alexandre Pantoja. Meanwhile, in the co-main event, Arman Tsarukyan meets Mauricio Ruffy in a lightweight contest that could determine the next foe for 155-pound champion Justin Gaethje. We look at the opening betting odds and early line movement for the two fights at the top of the UFC 331 marquee.
Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja
Arman Tsarukyan vs. Maurício Ruffy
Patrício Pitbull vs. Choi Doo-ho
Renato Moicano vs. Brian Ortega
Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski
Gable Steveson vs. Sean Sharaf
Marlon Vera vs. Charles Jourdain
Tai Tuivasa vs. Robelis Despaigne
Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Brunno Ferreira
Giga Chikadze vs. Joanderson Brito
Casey O'Neill vs. Eduarda Moura
Ryan Gandra vs. Osman Diaz
Michael Aswell Jr. vs. Yoo Joo-sang
#alexandre #Event #august #arena
2 months ago
PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov had some choice words for the UFC's top-ranked lightweights.
Nurmagomedov (22-0) is a free agent after retaining his belt with a first-round knockout out Archie Colgan at PFL New York last month. The 28-year-old is looking to either re-sign with the PFL or ink a deal with the UFC.
Nurmagomedov has beaten all of PFL's top lightweights, including Paul Hughes twice. He disagrees with the notion that the best fighters are only in the UFC, and picked apart the current rankings and matchups that have taken place in the octagon.
"There's a narrative that if you don't compete in the UFC, you're not on that high level, and I don't agree with that," Nurmagomedov told Sport24 (h/t Red Corner MMA). "Just look at the guys who are in the UFC top 10. They just keep fighting each other and maintain their top-10 spots. Benoit Saint Denis, he was 4-0 then lost to Dustin Poirier, then he lost to (Renato) Moicano, and won three times after that, and then lost in the first round within 30 seconds (vs. Pimblett), but he's still in the top five, oddly enough.
"Pimblett lost to a 37-year-old veteran, but he's the No. 1 contender now, right? Or No. 2. 17-0 Topuria, who had been praising himself as the greatest, he lost, quit on the stool, saying he wasn't going to continue. Arman (Tsarukyan), he lost to (Mateusz) Gamrot, he lost to Islam (Makhachef). He is just waiting it out, fighting once a year and saying he's the best fighter in the world. While he fought twice, I defended my **** le four times. The UFC PR machine is very powerful. The brand is very solid, but I wouldn't say they all put on such great fights."
#pimblett #twice
Nurmagomedov (22-0) is a free agent after retaining his belt with a first-round knockout out Archie Colgan at PFL New York last month. The 28-year-old is looking to either re-sign with the PFL or ink a deal with the UFC.
Nurmagomedov has beaten all of PFL's top lightweights, including Paul Hughes twice. He disagrees with the notion that the best fighters are only in the UFC, and picked apart the current rankings and matchups that have taken place in the octagon.
"There's a narrative that if you don't compete in the UFC, you're not on that high level, and I don't agree with that," Nurmagomedov told Sport24 (h/t Red Corner MMA). "Just look at the guys who are in the UFC top 10. They just keep fighting each other and maintain their top-10 spots. Benoit Saint Denis, he was 4-0 then lost to Dustin Poirier, then he lost to (Renato) Moicano, and won three times after that, and then lost in the first round within 30 seconds (vs. Pimblett), but he's still in the top five, oddly enough.
"Pimblett lost to a 37-year-old veteran, but he's the No. 1 contender now, right? Or No. 2. 17-0 Topuria, who had been praising himself as the greatest, he lost, quit on the stool, saying he wasn't going to continue. Arman (Tsarukyan), he lost to (Mateusz) Gamrot, he lost to Islam (Makhachef). He is just waiting it out, fighting once a year and saying he's the best fighter in the world. While he fought twice, I defended my **** le four times. The UFC PR machine is very powerful. The brand is very solid, but I wouldn't say they all put on such great fights."
#pimblett #twice
2 months ago
PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov hasn't entered the UFC yet, but he's already talking trash about the quality of opposition he may face when he gets there.
Nurmagomedov fought the last fight on his PFL contract last month, and recently revealed he turned down a $2 million per fight offer from the organization in order to wait out the 90 day exclusive negotiation period and see what other promotions might offer him. Promotions like the UFC, where he could finally get his due as one of the best lightweights in the world.
In an interview with Sport24, Usman pushed back on the idea that the top fighters are all in the UFC.
"They say if you don't fight in the UFC, it's not the same level. I disagree with this," he said. "Just look at the guys in the UFC who sit in the top 10 and they just fight amongst themselves and keep the top ten closed. For example, Benoit Saint Denis. Won 4, lost to Dustin Poirier, lost to 'Money' Moicano, lost 3 more. Lost in 30 seconds. [Michael] Chandler. Top 15. He's there. Lost to [Paddy] Pimblett."
"[Ilia] Topuria, who praised himself endlessly, lost. Quit on the stool. Said 'I don't wanna continue.' Arman [Tsarukyan] lost to [Mateusz] Gamrot, and he lost to Islam [Makhachev]. He sits, waits a year, fights once, and says that he is the best wrestler in the world. While he had two fights, I made four ****** le defenses."
#fight #promotions #best #World
Nurmagomedov fought the last fight on his PFL contract last month, and recently revealed he turned down a $2 million per fight offer from the organization in order to wait out the 90 day exclusive negotiation period and see what other promotions might offer him. Promotions like the UFC, where he could finally get his due as one of the best lightweights in the world.
In an interview with Sport24, Usman pushed back on the idea that the top fighters are all in the UFC.
"They say if you don't fight in the UFC, it's not the same level. I disagree with this," he said. "Just look at the guys in the UFC who sit in the top 10 and they just fight amongst themselves and keep the top ten closed. For example, Benoit Saint Denis. Won 4, lost to Dustin Poirier, lost to 'Money' Moicano, lost 3 more. Lost in 30 seconds. [Michael] Chandler. Top 15. He's there. Lost to [Paddy] Pimblett."
"[Ilia] Topuria, who praised himself endlessly, lost. Quit on the stool. Said 'I don't wanna continue.' Arman [Tsarukyan] lost to [Mateusz] Gamrot, and he lost to Islam [Makhachev]. He sits, waits a year, fights once, and says that he is the best wrestler in the world. While he had two fights, I made four ****** le defenses."
#fight #promotions #best #World
3 months ago
Alexandre Pantoja looks to get his UFC belt back at UFC 331.
The former UFC flyweight champion lost his belt against Joshua Van last December when he suffered an injury in the first round, but gets his anticipated rematch in the UFC 331 main event at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sept. 19.
Arman Tsakruyan makes his long-awaited return against Mauricio Ruffy in a pivotal lightweight contest. The winner of the UFC 331 co-main event could get a ****** le shot against UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
Patricio Pitbull, who has lost two of his three UFC fights since coming over from Bellator, faces Doo Ho Choi, who has won three straight fights, on the main card.
Former UFC featherweight ****** le contender Brian Ortega is once again slated to face Renato Moicano after dropping out of a fight against Moicano earlier this year.
#belt #Event
The former UFC flyweight champion lost his belt against Joshua Van last December when he suffered an injury in the first round, but gets his anticipated rematch in the UFC 331 main event at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sept. 19.
Arman Tsakruyan makes his long-awaited return against Mauricio Ruffy in a pivotal lightweight contest. The winner of the UFC 331 co-main event could get a ****** le shot against UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
Patricio Pitbull, who has lost two of his three UFC fights since coming over from Bellator, faces Doo Ho Choi, who has won three straight fights, on the main card.
Former UFC featherweight ****** le contender Brian Ortega is once again slated to face Renato Moicano after dropping out of a fight against Moicano earlier this year.
#belt #Event
3 months ago
Brian Ortega's long-talked-about move to 155 pounds is here.
Ortega, a former two-time UFC featherweight **** le challenger, is moving up to the lightweight division to take on veteran Renato Moicano in a rematch on Sept. 19 at UFC 331 in Los Angeles. UFC officials announced the rematch on Wednesday.
This bout was originally expected to go down in March at UFC 326, but Ortega withdrew from the matchup due to injury. Ortega and Moicano fought back in 2017. Ortega submitted Moicano in a bout that won Fight of the Night awards.
Ortega's move to lightweight has been talked about for several years, as he'd had trouble making 145 pounds for quite some time. In his last outing back in August, Ortega was unable to make the featherweight cut, thus pushing his bout with Aljamain Sterling to an 153-pound catchweight bout. Ortega lost the fight by unanimous decision. "T-City" is finds himself on a two-fight losing streak and 1-4 in his past five bouts.
Moicano looks to build some momentum in his career after submitting American Top Team teammate Chris Duncan in April at UFC Fight Night 272. The win got him back on his feet after a pair of defeats to Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev, who he fought for the UFC lightweight **** le at the time.
#move
Ortega, a former two-time UFC featherweight **** le challenger, is moving up to the lightweight division to take on veteran Renato Moicano in a rematch on Sept. 19 at UFC 331 in Los Angeles. UFC officials announced the rematch on Wednesday.
This bout was originally expected to go down in March at UFC 326, but Ortega withdrew from the matchup due to injury. Ortega and Moicano fought back in 2017. Ortega submitted Moicano in a bout that won Fight of the Night awards.
Ortega's move to lightweight has been talked about for several years, as he'd had trouble making 145 pounds for quite some time. In his last outing back in August, Ortega was unable to make the featherweight cut, thus pushing his bout with Aljamain Sterling to an 153-pound catchweight bout. Ortega lost the fight by unanimous decision. "T-City" is finds himself on a two-fight losing streak and 1-4 in his past five bouts.
Moicano looks to build some momentum in his career after submitting American Top Team teammate Chris Duncan in April at UFC Fight Night 272. The win got him back on his feet after a pair of defeats to Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev, who he fought for the UFC lightweight **** le at the time.
#move
3 months ago
An intriguing lightweight rematch between veterans Renato Moicano and Brian Ortega has been added to the upcoming UFC 331 card.
MMA journalist Leo Guimaraes was the first to report the Moicano vs. Ortega rematch for UFC 331. Sources have confirmed to Heavy that this rematch is indeed taking place at UFC 331, which is set for September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
"EXCLUSIVE: Renato Moicano x Brian Ortega is in advanced negotiations to take place on September 19, UFC 331," Guimaraes wrote on X.
The first time Moicano and Ortega met was at UFC 214 in July 2017, so the rematch will take place nine years later in 2026.
In their first fight, Ortega submitted Moicano in the third round with a guillotine choke in was a Fight of the Night between the two combatants.
#first #place #september
MMA journalist Leo Guimaraes was the first to report the Moicano vs. Ortega rematch for UFC 331. Sources have confirmed to Heavy that this rematch is indeed taking place at UFC 331, which is set for September 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.
"EXCLUSIVE: Renato Moicano x Brian Ortega is in advanced negotiations to take place on September 19, UFC 331," Guimaraes wrote on X.
The first time Moicano and Ortega met was at UFC 214 in July 2017, so the rematch will take place nine years later in 2026.
In their first fight, Ortega submitted Moicano in the third round with a guillotine choke in was a Fight of the Night between the two combatants.
#first #place #september
4 months ago
On Saturday, two elite lightweights faced off in the UFC 329 co-main event when Paddy Pimblett took on Benoit Saint-Denis. The Frenchman entered the bout as a solid favorite following a four-fight win streak, with all of them finishes. However, “The Baddy” again quieted the doubters and scored an impressive submission victory a minute into the bout. Putting the heavy hitter to sleep.
Following his big win, find out where Pimblett lands in our updated UFC lightweight rankings.
Since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in the fall of 2024, Australian Quillan Salkilld has been very impressive. He won his first four in the Octagon, including three first-round finishes. However, he got his biggest test yet in May against top-15 stalwart Beneil Dariush.
But just like most of his previous UFC foes, the young fighter got the well-respected MMA veteran out of there in less than a round. His 12th straight win earns him a spot in our UFC lightweight top 10.
At the end of 2024, Renato Moicano was one of the hottest fighters in the division after winning four straight, including stoppage wins over Jalin Turner and Benoit Saint-Denis. However, back-to-back losses — including a short-notice defeat to former lightweight king Islam Makhachev — ended his momentum as he started the new year.
Following his big win, find out where Pimblett lands in our updated UFC lightweight rankings.
Since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in the fall of 2024, Australian Quillan Salkilld has been very impressive. He won his first four in the Octagon, including three first-round finishes. However, he got his biggest test yet in May against top-15 stalwart Beneil Dariush.
But just like most of his previous UFC foes, the young fighter got the well-respected MMA veteran out of there in less than a round. His 12th straight win earns him a spot in our UFC lightweight top 10.
At the end of 2024, Renato Moicano was one of the hottest fighters in the division after winning four straight, including stoppage wins over Jalin Turner and Benoit Saint-Denis. However, back-to-back losses — including a short-notice defeat to former lightweight king Islam Makhachev — ended his momentum as he started the new year.
5 months ago
Over the past two years, Dana White has repeatedly called out what he sees as flaws in the UFC’s rankings system. The UFC CEO has frequently criticized the media-voted rankings, arguing that they often fail to accurately reflect fighters’ performances and standing within their divisions. One of the most notable examples came in October 2024, when White blasted the rankings after Khalil Rountree Jr. remained at No. 8 in the light heavyweight division despite his spirited performance against Alex Pereira at UFC 307.
White also took issue with pound-for-pound rankings that placed Islam Makhachev at No. 1 while Jon Jones was still actively competing, insisting that Jones was the greatest fighter of all time and the rightful holder of the top spot. The rankings came under fire again following UFC Paris in 2024. Renato Moicano delivered a dominant stoppage victory over Benoît Saint-Denis, yet his position remained unchanged at No. 11 in the lightweight rankings.
The Brazilian publicly criticized the system, and White backed him wholeheartedly, even labeling the reporters responsible for the rankings as **** s. White’s frustration extended to situations such as Max Holloway remaining ranked below Justin Gaethje despite scoring a dramatic knockout victory over him at UFC 300. In response, the UFC boss revealed that he had begun exploring technological alternatives to replace the current voting system.
ALSO READ: The Rock Among Celebrities Reportedly Skipping UFC’s Freedom 250 Card at the White House
White also took issue with pound-for-pound rankings that placed Islam Makhachev at No. 1 while Jon Jones was still actively competing, insisting that Jones was the greatest fighter of all time and the rightful holder of the top spot. The rankings came under fire again following UFC Paris in 2024. Renato Moicano delivered a dominant stoppage victory over Benoît Saint-Denis, yet his position remained unchanged at No. 11 in the lightweight rankings.
The Brazilian publicly criticized the system, and White backed him wholeheartedly, even labeling the reporters responsible for the rankings as **** s. White’s frustration extended to situations such as Max Holloway remaining ranked below Justin Gaethje despite scoring a dramatic knockout victory over him at UFC 300. In response, the UFC boss revealed that he had begun exploring technological alternatives to replace the current voting system.
ALSO READ: The Rock Among Celebrities Reportedly Skipping UFC’s Freedom 250 Card at the White House