UFC lightweight standout Renato Moicano doesn’t believe Paddy Pimblett’s massive post-fight weight gains are sustainable, particularly if he aims to continue competing at 155.
On February 3, Moicano will return to the Octagon for a showdown with fellow top-15-ranked contender Drew Dober. Ahead of their highly anticipated scrap, ‘Money Moicano’ sat down with Mike Owens in a MiddleEasy exclusive interview to discuss some of the lightweight division’s biggest storylines going into the new year.
Recently, Moicano shared his unfiltered thoughts on Paddy Pimblett’s post-UFC 296 weight gain via his own YouTube channel.
After undergoing ankle surgery early last year, ‘The Baddy’ seemed ready to give up his epic binge-eating in between fights and maintain a healthier walk-around weight. That was quickly thrown by the wayside following his win over Tony Ferguson on December 16. Appearing in a series of pictures on social media, Pimblett was noticeably bigger and confirmed that he had gained roughly 45 pounds mere weeks removed from his last UFC weigh-in.
“I don’t think that’s healthy,” Moicano said of Pimblett’s fluctuating weight. “He looks huge. I don’t even know how he can get to… He said it was 190 pounds or something like that. I don’t think that’s sustainable if he wants to keep fighting in the lightweight division, but that’s none of my business.”
Renato Moicano Says UFC Rankings ‘Don’t Make Sense’
When Moicano steps inside the Octagon next month, he’ll do so as the No. 13 ranked contender. However, Moicano pays little attention to the promotion’s rankings, suggesting that the system in place often makes little sense.
“The rankings, they don’t make sense anyways because if you see Benoit Saint-Denis, for example,” Moicano said. “He beat [Matt] Frevola who was number 14 or 15 and then he got number 11. That doesn’t make any sense. Same thing when Jalin Turner beat Bobby Green. I think [Turner] moved up in the rankings even though Bobby Green was behind him, so I don’t worry too much about rankings.
“Worry about the way you win, the way you talk, and who you call out next. Because we see now, Benoit Saint-Denis is fighting Dustin Poirier. He’s number [12] fighting number [3]. Rankings are good because they show you how close you are to fighting all the top fighters in the division, but at the end of the day, your performance will speak for itself.”
Had a great first time chatting with @moicanoufc who talked:
– Drew Dober fight 3rd February✅
– ‘Money Moicano’✅
– Poirier Vs Saint-Denis reaction✅
– Paddy Pimblett’s weight gain✅Full interview with @MiddleEasy https://t.co/cgqGOK0BtQ pic.twitter.com/epvhvuiyus
— MikeOwensMedia (@MikeOwensMedia) January 14, 2024
Speaking of Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Dustin Poirier, ‘Money Moicano’ was as surprised as everyone else when UFC CEO Dana White announced the bout for the promotion’s return to Miami on March 9. It’ll be a massive step up in competition for Saint-Denis and one Moicano believes the ‘God of War’ is not ready for.
“I don’t think he deserves to fight someone like Dustin Poirier,” Moicano said. “He’s not well-known, but he’s definitely good. He’s well-rounded. He’s dangerous and he definitely could beat Dustin Poirier. I think the UFC is pushing him because of the European market. I think the UFC is pushing him because he’s good on the mic. He showed that in his last performance and he’s delivering good performances against good guys like Thiago Moises and Matt Frevola.
“I just think it’s too soon to tell if this guy is going to be a star or not. Maybe he could be a star, especially if he speaks good English, He has a military background. If he beats Dustin Poirier, he’s going to be one or two steps away from being able to fight for the belt and be a star. I think the UFC is taking a [chance] on him and is pushing him to fight Dustin Poirier.”
Another massive lightweight clash on the horizon will feature former 155-pound champion Charles Oliveira taking on fast-rising contender Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 in April 2024.
Renato Moicano was scheduled to scrap with Tsarukyan last April, but the Brazilian was forced to withdraw from the contest due to an injury. He would admittedly love to opportunity to rebook his bout with Tsarukyan down the line, but he’s excited to see how things play out between ‘Do Bronx’ and the streaking Armenian.
“Who would not want to fight Charles Oliveira? He’s a former champion,” Moicano said. “He’s a great guy. Everybody loves him and he’s always good at beating somebody that everybody loves. The hype is a real thing, but at the same time, if they offered me [the fight], I would fight [Tsarukyan] any day of the week. Unfortunately, it was my fault that the fight didn’t happen. I had some problems with my knee, but it is what it is.
“Right now I’m not focused on Arman, Charles, or Benoit Saint-Denis. I’m focused on Drew Dober in February.”
Tsarukyan is coming off a massive 64-second KO of Beneil Dariush in December.
Watch the full exclusive interview below:
