Money Moicano is BACK
That’s right! Renato ‘Money’ Moicano makes his 2025 debut in the UFC Octagon as he takes on fellow lightweight contender Beneil Dariush at UFC 311 on January 18th in LA. The bout will serve as the 3rd fight on UFC 311’s main card and will be a 3-round lightweight bout.
UFC 311
Two title fights headline the card as Merab Dvalishvili will attempt to defend his bantamweight title against Umar Nurmagomedov in the co-main event, all before Islam Makhachev looks to defeat Arman Tsarukyan for a 2nd time in his career, this time for a lightweight title defense in the main event.
Despite all of the action at the top of the card, Moicano vs Dariush has all the makings to completely steal the show. Not shy of his love for money, Moicano certainly see’s another opportunity to cash in an exciting performance bonus.
Heavy Implications
Dariush holds the #9 spot in the LW rankings while Moicano currently sits at #10. Any top-10 UFC fight has lots at stake when it comes to the title picture, but with Moicano being on such an impressive 4-fight winning streak, a big win against Dariush could very well have him knocking on the winner of Makhachev vs Tsarukyan’s door.
With Moicano vs Dariush happening only 2-fights before the lightweight championship is settled, the future of the LW division could all be written in one night. Lots of the other top-10 UFC LW’s either have fights booked or just recently fought, leaving the winner of Moicano vs Dariush in a much better bargaining position, especially if they come out of the fight healthy and ready for a quick turn-around.
Moicano was supposed to fight Tsarukyan in April of 2023 before the fight was cancelled, so with a Tsarukyan win over Makhachev and a Moicano win over Dariush, fans could finally get a title fight they have long been looking forward to.
The Money Champ
The stars seem to be aligning for the veteran Moicano who is the closest to gold that he has ever been in his UFC career. It’s not unrealistic at all for Moicano to rack up a couple of wins to earn a title shot in a division that he has been blowing through.
Aside from the fighting skills, there is plenty of other upside Moicano would bring to the table as champion:
- GOAT’d post-fight speeches
- Broadcasting & commentary experience
- Large social media following & presence
- Show Me The Money Podcast
- Active, willing to fight any contender/challenger
No matter who the fans may cheer the loudest for in the lightweight division, there is no denying that Renato Moicano would be one of the most entertaining champions in the history of the UFC. On January 25th at UFC 311, he looks to keep the momentum going towards his undeniable path to the title.
