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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Farah Hannoun and Ken Hathaway

Renato Moicano thinks fight with Dan Hooker makes sense: ‘I just beat his training partner’

NEW YORK – After beating Brad Riddell, Renato Moicano wants another City Kickboxing standout.

Moicano (17-5-1 MMA, 9-5 UFC) made quick work of Riddell with a first-round submission this past Saturday at UFC 281. He delivered a memorable post-fight speech with Joe Rogan and demanded his respect in the division.

On the same night, Dan Hooker (22-12 MMA, 12-8 UFC) rebounded with a TKO of Claudio Puelles, and Moicano thinks he should be matched up with Riddell’s teammate next.

“I hope they give me Hooker because he just won,” Moicano told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the UFC 281 post-fight press conference. “It makes sense for me, we fought on the same night, and I just beat his training partner. So, I think that fight makes sense.

“I should be ranked. Plain and simple because I’m good, and I know how good I am and I know I can beat those guys. So I have to be on the rankings like I was at featherweight. I will climb up and eventually I’m gonna be at the top.”

In his post-fight news conference, Hooker said he wants the best volunteer for the UFC 284 card on Feb. 11 in Perth. But Moicano jokingly said he isn’t sure if that’s the location he wants.

“Australia? Perfect – no, no Australia is not perfect, Brazil is perfect and Brazil is right away. Everybody loves Rio, who doesn’t like Rio? So I don’t know about Australia, crocodiles and all that stuff, spiders. I’m not sure. Let’s stick to Rio.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 281.

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