Renato Moicano Makes Case as Potential Next Opponent for Ilia Topuria

Renato Moicano is eyeing high-profile opportunities as he prepares to headline UFC Vegas 123 against Tom Nolan. In an interview with MMA Fighting, the veteran lightweight discussed former two-division champion Ilia Topuria, who has not yet booked a return bout since suffering a knockout loss to Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC White House in June.

Prior to the loss against Gaethje, Topuria was undefeated at 17-0 in MMA, winning his first nine UFC bouts with seven finishes. Moicano argued that Topuria must now rebuild his momentum inside the Octagon. "Either they sacrifice him and Paddy Pimblett [against each other], or they’ll give him a fight to keep rolling, so the guy can get his confidence back," Moicano said, adding that a knockout victory in his next outing could quickly put Topuria back on track.

Moicano also reflected on Topuria's setback, noting that Topuria made a mistake by believing he could easily knock out a durable opponent like Gaethje. While Moicano admitted a bout against a motivated Topuria would be a difficult challenge, he emphasized that he is unsure whether the UFC would book the matchup or if he will call for it following his upcoming fight, stating that his post-fight mic moments come straight from the heart. Moicano was booked against Nolan after being removed from UFC 331 when original opponent Brian Ortega suffered a cut.