Renato Moicano wanted to call out the winner of Islam Makachev vs Arman Tsarukyan after UFC 311 and challenge for the title. While that was an ambitious wish, to begin with, the opportunity to fight Islam for the title at the PPV is something he couldn’t even have dreamt of. However, UFC veteran Anthony Smith believes this might be the perfect storm for him to capitalize on.
During the UFC 311 pre-show on ESPN, Smith claimed that Moicano has no choice here but 30 hours to deal with it.
“That’s not enough time to change your mindset or really affect you that much. He’s got a perfect situation to challenge for the title, if you ask me.”
Smith’s point? Moicano didn’t have to spend weeks overthinking how to beat one of the most dominant fighters in the division. No grueling game plan to obsess over, no endless tape study to psych himself out. Just raw, instinctive fighting.
For a fighter like Moicano, who thrives on a bit of chaos and unpredictability, this could very well be the moment, his career changes forever. He’s already been on a tear, winning 6 of his last 7 fights in an all-around display of striking and grappling.
He will also be a very different fighter than the one Islam has prepared for. Tsarukyan was a primarily wrestler who could throw some powerful strikes. Moicano, however, can blitzkrieg his opponents with quick precise strikes before taking them to the ground.
While it will be difficult to do either with Islam and replicate the same success he’s had with his previous opponents, Moicano will be hoping he can ride out his luck one more time.
Meanwhile, another UFC veteran Chael Sonnen has also put his faith in Moicano, claiming underdogs with no pre-fight baggage have often gotten it done.
Sonnen smells an upset from Moicano
Sonnen agrees with Smith on this subject. Without the burden of preparation and the “paralysis” that comes with it, Sonnen believes anything can happen.
“Paralysis by analysis is a real thing….I mean, Moicano has none of that on him. We’ve seen more upsets like this. I’ve seen this from the NCAA level to the Olympic Games, even to our sport. Boxing is just as guilty, where somebody gets an opportunity, they go in with a fresh mind, prepared body, and good things happen.”
Sonnen is not wrong. One of UFC’s most popular faces, Michael Bisping became a legend after winning the middleweight title on 17 days’ notice.
When an injury forced Chris Weidman to pull out of his UFC 199 bout against Luke Rockhold, a young Bisping stepped up to the plate. Before this fight, Bisping had been put through his ringers by his opponents. He didn’t look like he could get to a title shot the conventional way, let alone win it.
But at 37 years of age, he not only outfought Rockhold but knocked him out cold to cause one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. So, even if it is the road less taken by, Moicano is still walking in the footsteps of giants.
