Renato Moicano has announced his intention to conclude his UFC career once his current contract, which has three fights remaining, is fulfilled. The declaration follows his recent and controversial loss to Tom Nolan at UFC Vegas 123 on October thirty-first.
Controversial Loss at UFC Vegas 123
Moicano, who was thirty-seven years old at the time of the bout, faced Tom Nolan in a lightweight contest that ended in a third-round knockout via elbows for Nolan at one minute and twenty-eight seconds. The pre-fight market had Moicano favored at fifty-three percent to win. The fight was marked by a contentious referee decision in the second round. Moicano had secured back control on Nolan and was actively working for a submission, a position he maintained for significant portions of the first two rounds. However, referee Dan Miragliotta controversially stood the fighters up, citing a lack of action.
This stand-up proved to be a pivotal moment. Immediately after the restart, Nolan capitalized, landing strikes that visibly hurt Moicano and nearly finished the round. Nolan then secured the TKO victory in the third round. Moicano later addressed the referee's decision on The Ariel Helwani Show, stating, "Dan, I think he made a mistake. I was in a very hard position to get." He suggested that crowd booing might have influenced the referee's call. Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier also criticized the stand-up, calling it "one of the WORST EVER" and believing it cost Moicano the fight. Tom Nolan, for his part, clarified that he did not ask the referee for the stand-up during the bout.
Moicano's Career and Future Plans
Renato Moicano currently holds a UFC record of thirteen wins and eight losses across twenty-one UFC fights. Before his recent loss to Nolan, he was on a one-fight UFC win streak, having secured a submission victory over Chris Duncan by rear-naked choke in the second round in April 2026. His recent career has seen mixed results, including losses to Beneil Dariush by unanimous decision in June 2025 and Islam Makhachev by D'Arce choke submission in the first round in January 2025. He is currently ranked as the number twelve lightweight in the official UFC rankings.
Moicano's decision to retire after his contract is primarily driven by financial considerations. He indicated on The Ariel Helwani Show that he believes the UFC will not offer him sufficient compensation to continue fighting in mixed martial arts. He expressed a desire to transition into influencer boxing, aiming for matchups against individuals who are not professional fighters. Moicano also cited a desire to avoid a prolonged decline in his career, explicitly mentioning Tony Ferguson as a cautionary example of a fighter who continued competing into his forties on a significant losing streak.
With three fights remaining on his current UFC deal, Moicano's immediate future involves fulfilling these contractual obligations. He has no next booked UFC fight on our schedule.
By the numbers
| Fighter | UFC record | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Renato Moicano | 13-8-0 | Lightweight #12 |
UFC records count UFC fights only. Records and rankings from UFC Stats and ufc.com.
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