Renato Moicano understands why there are so many shows at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, but that doesn’t make him any more excited to fight there.
For his first few UFC fights, Moicano (17-5-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) used Portuguese-language interpreters for his interviews. But when a microphone was put in front of his face at UFC 271 in February 2022 after his win over Alexander Hernandez, magic happened in the form an expletive-filled rant.
A similar occurence repeated at UFC 281 in November 2022, his most recent outing, when he defeated Brad Riddell. His speech left Joe Rogan, like many viewers around the world, laughing.
Moicano nailed both of those moments and parlayed the attention that came with it. He launched the Money Moicano YouTube channel, which has gained over 21,000 subscribers to date. Moicano explained that his quick-witted, humorous takes on situations around the world is organic and not pre-planned, in the same way his in-cage interviews are off-the-cuff.
“I don’t think about it at all,” Moicano recently told MMA Junkie. “After the fight, I usually get so emotional because people who don’t fight cannot understand how hard it is to go through the training camp and the dieting and all that stuff. So when you go over there and everything went well and you have a great performance, (it’s hard to explain) how happy you are.
“Definitely my best days are after I win. When you win, you feel like you’re on top of the world. I don’t actually plan nothing. I just speak my mind, and it happens like in my last fight when I was thinking a lot about money. That’s why I was talking a lot about money. Moicano wants money. But that was not something I planned. I just speak my mind.”
Known for his post-fight promos on the microphone, Moicano admits things could land a little bit differently with intimate audience rather than a full arena should he beat Drew Dober (27-12 MMA, 13-8 UFC) on Feb. 3 at UFC Fight Night 235.
“This is a Fight Night. Nobody gives a sh*t about Fight Nights,” Moicano said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re the co-main event, main event, or the prelims. Who gives a f*ck? It’s just a sh*tty way to put UFC on ESPN. So hey, Dana White, I’d rather be on UFC 299. But I don’t make the rules. I’m an employee. Feb. 3, I will beat Drew Dober. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the Apex. Nobody likes the Apex, my brother. You can ask anybody. The fans hate the Apex. The fighters, I’m pretty sure they don’t like the Apex, too.”
“… “I know the UFC has so many fighters right now and have to make so many fights. It makes sense for the Apex and ESPN. If you’re asking me if I’m happy to fight at the Apex, no way, brother. No way. Imagine UFC 299 in Miami, a lot of people, you have a great performance and then you can talk in a mic with a great guy like Joe Rogan or even Michael Bisping, DC, and you can express yourself.”
Whether there are 100 people or 10,000 people on-hand to watch his fights, Moicano said the most important thing is handling business. With money on the mind, Moicano expects victory Feb. 3 in Las Vegas.
“The Apex is going to be different, but Moicano is business,” Moicano said. “I’m going over there with the business mind. I have to beat Drew Dober, get my double checks and look forward at who is available and make statements. Like it or not, I’m fighting at the Apex on Feb. 3. With a crowd, without a crowd, I have to make money. Feb. 3, I will make that money.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 235.
