Renato Moicano issues statement following UFC 311 loss against Islam Makhachev

Renato Moicano has briefly spoken out following his first-round submission loss against Islam Makhachev.

Moicano was given a golden opportunity this past Saturday night. Makhachev, the reigning UFC lightweight champion, was scheduled to face Arman Tsarukyan in the UFC 311 headliner. Plans changed when Tsarukyan pulled out of the title fight due to a back injury. Since Moicano was able to make championship weight, he was called upon to replace Tsarukyan.

It was no easy task for Moicano to face one of the best MMA fighters in the world on such short notice, but he gave it a try. In the end, there was no fairytale ending for the underdog on this night.

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Renato Moicano Expresses Gratitude Following UFC 311 Loss

While Renato Moicano didn’t walk out of the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, CA with championship gold, he is still holding his head up high. He took to his ‘X’ page to address the defeat to Makhachev, as well as express his gratitude for being given a shot.

That’s sucks!!! For now I just want to win my next fight! Thank you ufc for the opportunity! Thank you God for my life!

— Renato Moicano (@moicanoufc) January 19, 2025

“That’s sucks!!! For now I just want to win my next fight! Thank you ufc for the opportunity! Thank you God for my life!”

Moicano’s four-fight winning streak has now come to an end. This is his first loss since March 2022. The Brazilian star was initially expected to face Beneil Dariush before getting the call to face Makhachev. There’s no word on whether or not that fight will be rebooked in the near future.

During his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Moicano admitted that he may never receive another UFC title opportunity again. One still can’t rule out the possibility that Moicano could find himself in a title bout again. After all, Makhachev has said he wants to hold gold in a second weight class, and possibly even a third.