Renato Moicano Next Fight in The UFC
Following his victory this weekend, Renato Moicano increased his UFC record to 10-5 and secured one of his biggest career victories to date, defeating veteran Drew Dober via unanimous decision. Moicano has now won four of his last five fights and deserves a ranked opponent or a big fight next, so let's discuss who could be a potential opponent for Moicano in his next fight.
Paddy Pimblett
Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett is an opponent who's on the radar for Moicano. Following his victory at the weekend, Moicano admitted via The MMA Hour he's been playing "chess, not checkers" against Pimblett.
The oddsmakers are always confident in Israel Adesanya.
— Verdict (@TournamentsMMA) April 5, 2023
He's lost 3 fights to Alex Pereira, but the oddsmakers still have him as a favorite heading into this weekend.#UFC287 pic.twitter.com/0MF4krsH1v
With Paddy Pimblett riding a five-fight win streak inside the UFC and Moicano holding the #12 ranking, this is an excellent matchup for both fighters. For Moicano, it allows him to boost his star power further and allows him to crack into the top-10 on a three-fight win streak. And for Pimblett, it's a big chance against his first-ranked opponent.
Jalin Turner
The ranked picture in the Lightweight division is pretty stacked right now, with only a few fighters unbooked. One fighter without a dance partner is "The Tarantula" Jalin Turner. In his last outing, Turner took a short-notice fight against Bobby Green and capped off his 2023 with a devastating first-round KO over the veteran.
Turner is now looking to build up a new win streak, which was snapped by Dan Hooker at UFC 290, to break into the top of the Lightweight division. Both guys are ranked close together and have fought just a month apart, making Turner an excellent next opponent for Moicano.
Matt Frevola
Finally, Moicano vs. Matt "Steamrolla" Frevola would be a fan-friendly matchup. Frevola is unranked in the Lightweight division but does hold a TKO victory over the #15-ranked Drew Dober, a familiar opponent. He's coming off a tough loss to Benoît Saint-Denis at UFC 295, where he was caught by a head kick early in the first round.
Both men's last wins came over Dober, and their schedule matches up well with Frevola's last fight in November. With both men having very devoted fanbases, this could be an addition to an upcoming Pay-Per-View card with or a highly placed main event on a Fight Night card.
Who would you like "Money" Moicano to face in his next matchup? As a member of the Verdict Community, let us know with a comment down below.
