Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Renato Moicano after UFC Vegas 115 win?
· Yahoo Sports
It truly was "easy money" for Renato Moicano in the UFC Fight Night 272 main event against Chris Duncan.
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Many wondered how Saturday's lightweight headliner at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas would unfold because of the training history between the two American Top Team athletes. Sometimes those scenarios result in disastrous fights, but that wasn't the case here.
Duncan (15-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) said prior to the event that Moicano (21-7-1 MMA, 13-7 UFC) got the better of him in the training room years ago, but things would be different now. That wasn't the case at all, because Moicano held nothing back as he bloodied and battered his Scottish foe before sealing the deal with a second-round submission.
A rear-naked choke did the job for Moicano, as it has so many other times before in the octagon. He really needed this one, though, because after back-to-back losses and nearly a year away from competition, questions about whether he still had it were starting to bubble to the surface.
The Brazilian proved he's still got a vibrant pulse and can be a player in the 155-pound division, and his popularity can facilitate some noteworthy matchups.
Before the Duncan fight came about, Moicano was scheduled to welcome Brian Ortega to the lightweight division at UFC 326 in March but Ortega (16-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) withdrew due to injury. Ortega handed him his first career loss back in July 2017 and he made it clear afterward that he still wants to run that fight back.
It could certainly happen, seeing as the UFC already made that rematch before. Fights with Dan Hooker or Paddy Pimblett are more appealing for this stage of his career, but Moicano has options, and that's a stark contrast to what would've been ahead if he'd lost this fight.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Vegas 115 matchmaker: Who's next for Renato Moicano after win?