"UFC always favors him for a reason" - Renato Moicano lashes into "spoiled brat" Paddy Pimblett after latter's criticism of his UFC 311 loss
Renato Moicano earned near-universal respect from the MMA world when he stepped in to face Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title on a day's notice. At UFC 311 last weekend, 'Money Moicano' put on a valiant effort but was ultimately submitted by the pound-for-pound best fighter today.
Despite the loss, the MMA world tipped its hat to the Brazilian fighter for having the guts to take on a title fight on extremely short notice. However, there are some who aren't wholly impressed by 'Money Moicano' - namely Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett.
Pimblett heavily criticized Moicano for "tapping out" to Makhachev's D'Arce choke and implored him to go out on his shield and "go to sleep". In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, 'Money Moicano' addressed Pimblett's comments, saying:
"Let me tell you something, brother. He's unbelievable. Paddy Pimblett is unbelievable. He never beat anybody that is good in the octagon. UFC always favors him for a reason, you know? He has millions of followers. That's a spoiled brat motherf*cker, you know. They give him everything that he needs. He never took a fight on short notice. Never. He never did. And he never will. Because he never needs [to]. He has like, the silver spoon. They're going to feed him the best match-ups. They're going to do everything that is good for him.
Listen to Renato Moicano here:
Renato Moicano on possibly facing Paddy Pimblett: "I will finish him in the first round"
While he doesn't like Paddy Pimblett's criticism of his UFC 311 performance, Renato Moicano admitted that the Englishman was right about one thing: he did tap pretty early. Despite this, the Brazilian standout vows to teach Pimblett a lesson if ever they lock horns inside the octagon.
Moicano said:
"And to be fair, I did tap pretty fast. So, he might be right on that one, but let me tell you something. If I fight Paddy Pimblett, I will finish him in the first round - just for this disrespect."
A bout between Renato Moicano and Paddy Pimblett would have enough star power to headline its own Fight Night card. Both men are beloved by fans and have exciting, grappling-based fighting styles. They're not too far apart in the rankings either, with Moicano sitting at no.10 and Pimblett at no.13.