Brazilian fighter Renato Moicano expressed his frustration with his current ranking in the UFC lightweight division, asserting that he should be ranked higher than some of the fighters ahead of him. Moicano, who shone in the main event at UFC Paris with his dominant victory over Benoit Saint-Denis by technical knockout (TKO) in the second round, believes that his recent performance hasn’t been properly acknowledged.
His Performance in Paris
In UFC Paris, held at the Accor Arena in Bercy, Moicano dominated the fight from the first round, earning a 10-8 score from all judges before ending the match in the second round with a doctor stoppage. Despite this impressive victory, Moicano, who is ranked 11th in the lightweight division, didn’t see any rise in his ranking. This disregard angered the Brazilian, who didn’t hesitate to voice his discontent.
Criticism of Five Fighters
In a tweet on platform X, Moicano not only expressed his frustration but also listed five fighters who, in his view, do not deserve to be ranked ahead of him.
If UFC Rankings Aren’t Total Bullshit, I Should Be Ranked #6 in the Lightweight Division Tomorrow. Why? In the last 8 months, I’ve fought 3 times and I’m on a 6-fight win streak in the lightweight division, with 5 stoppages. Yet, ranked above me are:
— Renato Moicano UFC (@moicanoufc) October 1, 2024
His criticisms were as follows:
#10 Max Holloway: A legend, but he’s a 145 and will be facing Topuria for the featherweight belt at UFC 308. Even if he loses, his spot in the lightweight rankings makes no sense. He just beat Gaethje, so if anything, he should be ranked #3. I’d gladly take #7 if that was case.
— Renato Moicano UFC (@moicanoufc) October 1, 2024
- #10 Max Holloway: “Holloway is a legend in the featherweight division, but he doesn’t belong in the lightweight rankings. He has an upcoming fight for the featherweight belt at UFC 308, and even if he loses, his spot in the lightweight rankings makes no sense.”
If UFC Rankings Aren’t Total Bullshit, I Should Be Ranked #6 in the Lightweight Division Tomorrow. Why? In the last 8 months, I’ve fought 3 times and I’m on a 6-fight win streak in the lightweight division, with 5 stoppages. Yet, ranked above me are:
— Renato Moicano UFC (@moicanoufc) October 1, 2024
- #9 Rafael Fiziev: “Fiziev lost his last two fights against Mateusz Gamrot and Justin Gaethje. His last fight was in September 2023.”
- #8 Mateusz Gamrot: “Gamrot lost to Dan Hooker in August 2024. He doesn’t deserve his current spot.”
- #7 Beneil Dariush: “After losing to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan, and with his last fight in December 2023, he doesn’t deserve to be in this position.”
- #6 Michael Chandler: “Chandler has a 2-3 record in the UFC and lost to Dustin Poirier in November 2022. Since then, he’s been waiting for Conor McGregor’s return.”
If UFC Rankings Aren’t Total Bullshit, I Should Be Ranked #6 in the Lightweight Division Tomorrow. Why? In the last 8 months, I’ve fought 3 times and I’m on a 6-fight win streak in the lightweight division, with 5 stoppages. Yet, ranked above me are:
— Renato Moicano UFC (@moicanoufc) October 1, 2024
What’s the Solution?
Despite Moicano’s strong arguments, the question remains: will his statements affect his ranking? Perhaps the only way to change his situation is to face one of these fighters or beat another ranked higher.
