Renato Moicano doesn’t think he will get the ‘easy fight’ against Paddy Pimblett after all. ‘Money’ Moicano, of course, had called for a clash with fellow ranked lightweight ‘Paddy the Baddie’ after he mauled the heavily favored Benoit Saint Denis at their UFC Fight Night Paris clash last month. And things seemed to be working out perfectly for Moicano as the Englishman had publicly accepted his challenge.

But on Ariel Helwani’s show, Moicano said that he still doesn’t think he will fight Pimblett in the near future. Why? Well because the UFC wants to protect the Englishman, who has become a veritable star, against a potential stylistic nightmare in ‘Money’ Moicano.

“I don’t know, I don’t know, doesn’t matter you know… UFC is going to protect him. That’s one hundred percent. He’s not fighting ‘Money’ Moicano. No,” Moicano said to Helwani asking him if Pimblett was next.

“I think, I’m not trying to even discount nothing. He did accept the fight but think about the company, UFC, you know. What’s the point of doing this matchup? ‘Money’ Moicano going to smash Paddy Pimblett… Take him down and the fight is over. And they’re gonna lose a very good product because we cannot lie, Paddy Pimblett is a very good product for UFC. But if they offer me the fight, of course, you know what’s up,” the Brazilian lightweight added.

Pimblett, of course, was one of the most hyped and beloved fighters in the promotion until late last year, when he did an unprecedented heel turn to become one of the most hated fighters in the promotion. But despite Pimblett’s stock plummeting, or perhaps because of it, he is the best opponent for Moicano at the moment.

Why a Pimblett clash makes sense for Renato Moicano despite Englishman’s ranking

Riding high after his UFC Fight Night 243 heroics in Paris, Renato Moicano wants to get back into action as quickly as possible. After all, the Brazilian was the underdog going into his fight with the fearsome Benoit Saint-Denis, all of whose wins have come via stoppages.

And his win over the Frenchman has made many sit up and take notice of Moicano as a possible title contender in the near future. To that end, a fight with Pimblett will not do much for the Brazilian’s standing in the division. After all, Moicano at #11 is already ranked three positions higher than the #14-ranked Pimblett. However, as far as creating hype and increasing his visibility is concerned, a Pimblett clash is probably his best bet due to the Englishman’s star power.

The same sentiment was echoed by UFC legend Micheal Bisping who in turn wants Pimblett’s resolve to be tested before any further opportunities loom for division gold. This topic recently came up during The Count’s latest YouTube Q&A session when a fan asked him who Pimblett should face next. Bisping responded, “Oh dear. Who would I put Paddy Pimblett in with next? Well, it’s time to… He’s in the deep water. [Renato] Moicano.”

After all, it is much easier to make your way up the division when you have beaten fighters fans know and care about. Not to mention fans will be more than happy to see Moicano potentially beat Pimblett and snap his losing streak, which could give the Brazilian a very real bump in popularity. What are your thoughts on Renato Moicano’s comments about the UFC wanting to protect Paddy Pimblett from him?