Renato Moicano

Overview

Thirteen UFC wins, nine of them finishes, and seven of those by submission. Renato Moicano is also 13-8, which tells you the other half: he has been finished six times, four by KO/TKO. The Brazilian lightweight from American Top Team carries a one-fight losing streak into his next bout.

His submission game is the headline. Seven of the nine finishes are submissions, two are KO/TKO. Anyone calling him a pure grappler should look at the UFC 300 win over Jalin Turner, which ended by TKO in round 2.

He has also headlined three UFC cards, and he has beaten strong opposition. He just hasn't beaten the elite tier.

UFC Career

Moicano debuted in December 2014 with a round 2 submission of Tom Niinimaki. Split decisions over Zubaira Tukhugov and Jeremy Stephens followed, then a round 3 submission loss to Brian Ortega at UFC 214.

A decision win over Calvin Kattar and a first-round submission of Cub Swanson put him on a short run. Then came a rough patch. Jose Aldo stopped him in round 2 and Chan Sung Jung in round 1. A 44-second submission win over Damir Hadžović followed, then Rafael Fiziev finished him in round 1.

Moicano rebuilt with submissions of Jai Herbert and Alexander Hernandez. Rafael Dos Anjos then beat him over five rounds. A first-round submission of Brad Riddell started his longest win streak, four fights. It continued with Drew Dober and Jalin Turner, and ended with Benoît Saint Denis, the last in a main event that ended on a doctor's stoppage at the end of round 2.

The next two went the other way. Islam Makhachev submitted him in round 1, and Beneil Dariush took a unanimous decision. A round 2 submission of Chris Duncan in a main event followed. Then Tom Nolan knocked him out in round 3 of another main event.

Three main events, two wins. Not a bad ratio.

Fighting Style

Moicano is a busy striker who is hard to hit. He lands more than most UFC fighters and defends well, while the strikes he absorbs and his accuracy sit right around the UFC average.

The ground game is a strength. He shoots for takedowns more than most and is very hard to take down. His submission attempts are about average, so his submission wins come from finishing chances that appear, not from constantly hunting for them.

His finishing pattern is clear. Nine of his 13 UFC wins ended inside the distance, and all nine came in the first two rounds: three in round 1 and six in round 2. Seven of those were submissions and two were KO/TKOs. His losses show the other side, with four coming by KO/TKO and two by submission.

Notable Wins

• Cub Swanson — submission, round 1, UFC 227 (2018)
• Jalin Turner — KO/TKO, round 2, UFC 300 (2024)
• Benoît Saint Denis — TKO (doctor's stoppage), round 2, UFC Fight Night (2024)
• Chris Duncan — submission, round 2, UFC Fight Night (2026)

Quick Facts

• Division: Lightweight
• UFC record: 13-8 (9 finishes: 7 submissions, 2 KO/TKO)
• Professional record (all promotions): 21-8-1
• UFC debut: December 2014
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height / reach: 5'11" / 72"
• Team: American Top Team
• Born: Brasilia, Brazil