Renato Moicano explains not wanting Dustin Poirier fight despite considering himself "the best fighter in the lightweight division"
Renato Moicano has opened up about why he wouldn't want to clash against Dustin Poirier inside the octagon despite reaffirming his self-belief that he's the best in the lightweight division.
Brazil's Moicano currently holds the No. 11 spot in the official UFC lightweight rankings. He's fresh off a second-round TKO win over Benoit Saint Denis last month. Meanwhile, America's Poirier is the No. 4-ranked lightweight and is coming off a fifth-round submission defeat against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev this past June.
Following the loss, the Louisianian hinted at retirement. However, in the ensuing months, Poirier has time and again teased a possible comeback, and he most recently suggested that he's capable of competing five or six more times in the UFC but will put his body through only two more fights.
For years, Renato Moicano has trained at the world-renowned ATT (American Top Team) camp in Florida, where Dustin Poirier has long been a prominent member. Moicano and Poirier have sparred with each other as training partners there.
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Moicano, who's been working on recovering from his shoulder injury, addressed his future. 'Money' opined that the UFC would likely protect UK superstar Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett by not giving him that fight.
Discussing the top lightweight names, Moicano alluded to the speculation that Justin Gaethje could fight Dan Hooker next. He added that Poirier too has spoken about a return:
"Dustin Poirier saying he got a fight. I don't really care. It doesn't really matter."
When asked whether he'd fight Poirier, Renato Moicano replied by lightheartedly implying that Poirier gets the better of him at the gym and he wouldn't want to face the MMA great:
"No. He's my teammate. And not only that -- what's the point of going in a fight that I know I'm going to lose? I train with him all the time. What's the point of signing the contract of fighting a guy that beats me up in the gym? So there is no point on that. On my mind, I'm the best fighter in the lightweight division. I can beat anybody. I just cannot beat Dustin Poirier. The rest; I can beat everybody in this division."
Watch Moicano's complete interview below (comments about Poirier at 22:40):
Renato Moicano recently waxed lyrical about veteran MMA star Dustin Poirier
Incidentally, prior to his clash against Renato Moicano, Benoit Saint Denis fought Dustin Poirier and was stopped via second-round KO.
Speaking to CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri before fighting Saint Denis, Moicano seemed to suggest that Poirier had given him some advice based on his own experience opposite the Frenchman.
Showering praise on his ATT teammate, Moicano indicated that he loves how Poirier carries himself, lives, and always bounces back from defeats. 'Money' said:
"I'm a huge fan of Dustin Poirier ... If I have one word to describe him, it's resilience."
Watch Moicano's assessment below (7:00):