"That's the hole they were trying to put me in" - Renato Moicano reacts to Charles Oliveira defeating Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio

Renato Moicano (left) was not game to fight Charles Oliveira (right) at UFC Rio. [Images courtesy: Getty Images]
Renato Moicano (left) was not game to fight Charles Oliveira (right) at UFC Rio. [Images courtesy: Getty Images]

Charles Oliveira's dominant submission win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio seems to have impressed Renato Moicano. So much so, the Brazilian feels relieved it was not him that faced 'do Bronx' this past weekend.

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Last Saturday at the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, the former lightweight champion made light work of 'Gamer'. After dominating the wrestler, even in grappling exchanges in the opening round, he submitted his opponent via face crank in the second.

Notably, Gamrot was a late replacement for the fight, brought in after Oliveira's originally scheduled opponent, Rafael Fiziev, pulled out due to a knee injury. Moicano was also reportedly under consideration at the UFC as a potential replacement.

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However, after 'do Bronx's' masterclass at Rio de Janeiro, Moicano doesn't seem to want any part of his countryman. Reacting to Oliveira's win in a recent social media post, the lightweight, who currently sports a clean-shaven head, said:

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"That's the hole they were trying to put me in, a bald guy, without training, clowning around on YouTube."

Check out Renato Moicano's comments on Charles Oliveira's UFC Rio win below:

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While Moicano had been on a tear from 2022 to 2024, his recent performances have left a lot to be desired. The 36-year-old is currently on a two-fight skid, most recently dropping a unanimous decision against the No.9-ranked lightweight contender, Beneil Dariush.


Renato Moicano comes clean on why he didn't take the Charles Oliveira fight

It appears Renato Moicano took a conscious decision not to face Charles Oliveira on short notice at UFC Rio. While he agrees a win over 'do Bronx' would've done wonders for his career, he felt he had inadequate time to get into fight shape.

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During an episode of the Show Me The Money Podcast in the lead-up to the UFC Brazil event, the former lightweight title challenger stated he was battling injuries and health complications, which prevented him from answering the UFC's call:

"I have an injury, so I'm not training that much, and I got a little bit sick too, you know. So, two weeks would be just to cut the weight, and I can cut the weight, but especially five rounds, and especially because my last fight I got tired, and I didn't have the time to fix that because I've been producing... [a lot of social media content] I've been posting every day."

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Edited by Ujwal Jain
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