'I'm better than him everywhere': Moicano sizes up Nolan after Ortega saga

Renato Moicano reacts after defeating Jalin Turner during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. (Reuters)

Renato Moicano was scheduled to fight Brian Ortega at UFC 326 in March. Ortega withdrew with injuries. The rematch was booked for UFC 331 in September, only for Ortega to pull out again, this time with a cut above his left eye.Moicano now faces Tom Nolan in the main event at Meta APEX in Las Vegas on October 31 (Nov 1 IST). The Brazilian lightweight has had to prepare for two opponents this year, but his immediate concern is the one who will actually turn up."When I found out about the fight, I changed the game plan. Of course, Brian Ortega is a jiu-jitsu guy, while Tom Nolan is a striker, so I changed my approach to the fight," Moicano told TimesofIndia.com.He has little interest in revisiting the cancellations. "There is nothing I can do about that, you know. The only thing I can do is train, get my weight down and fight on Saturday. I don't think about Brian Ortega," he said.Moicano, 37, is coming off a second-round submission win over Chris Duncan in April, having lost his previous two fights against Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev. The Duncan victory stopped that run of defeats.

Nolan, 26, has won five consecutive fights, including a unanimous decision over Farès Ziam in June.Moicano is ranked eighth in the UFC lightweight division, with Nolan at No. 12 in the latest rankings. The Australian has never headlined a UFC event before and will be competing over five rounds for the first time in the promotion.

Tom Nolan in action (Image credit: Special arrangement)

"I think he's a very dangerous opponent, but I think I'm better than him everywhere," Moicano said.Nolan had called for the fight after beating Ziam. Moicano was not interested in reading too much into the callout."I don't know. I don't care about what they think or what they do. It's just a fight. I have to go over there and beat him, and that's it," he said.

A crowded lightweight title picture

The division has moved on since Moicano's last appearance. Justin Gaethje is the champion after beating Ilia Topuria by fourth-round TKO at UFC Freedom 250 in June.

The defeat was the first of Topuria's professional career.Topuria remains No. 1 contender in the UFC rankings, with Arman Tsarukyan at No. 2, Charles Oliveira third, Max Holloway fourth, and Paddy Pimblett fifth. Benoît Saint Denis and Quillan Salkilld are also ahead of Moicano, who needs to keep winning to improve his position.Tsarukyan strengthened his case with a knockout win over Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 in September.

Oliveira beat Holloway in March, while Pimblett defeated Saint Denis in July. There is no shortage of established names or younger contenders seeking a title opportunity.Moicano has previously said he would welcome a fight against Topuria. The change in the title picture has made the possibility more complicated, with Gaethje now holding the belt and Tsarukyan among the leading candidates for the next shot.

Renato Moicano punches Benoit Saint Denis in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at The Accor Arena on September 28, 2024 in Paris, France. (UFC Photo)

"Somebody asked me if I would fight Topuria, and I said, of course.

But that's up to the UFC. I just have to win my fight and see what happens," Moicano said.Asked whether he needed another major victory before a fight against Topuria became realistic, he did not try to negotiate his way into a matchup."I'm really focused on that fight right now. I think Ilia Topuria could be one, but who knows? I'm not thinking about that right now. I'm just thinking about finishing Tom Nolan and then seeing what's next," he said.

A win over Nolan would keep Moicano in the top 10 and give him another result to take into discussions about his next opponent. A loss would leave him needing to rebuild his position while the leading contenders continue to move towards the title.For now, Moicano is not making predictions about the next stage of his career.Asked how he defines success at this point, he offered a straightforward answer. "I think success for me is going over there and finishing Tom Nolan, getting some money, getting back home safe and being ready for the next one," he said.(Moicano faces Nolan at UFC Fight Night, live on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV)