Moicano Isn't Sure What's Next — and He Said It Out Loud Before UFC Vegas 123
Event: UFC Vegas 123: Moicano vs. Nolan — October 31, 2026, Meta Apex, Las Vegas
Image credit: UFC.com
Renato Moicano headlines UFC Vegas 123 on Saturday against Tom Nolan. That much is certain. What comes after it, by Moicano's own admission, is not.
"I am 37, right. Soon, I am about to be 38. I am not fighting until I am 40, so maybe I fight my contract out and that's it, maybe not. I don't know." [3]
That was Moicano at Wednesday's pre-fight news conference, talking about his future as plainly as any fighter in his position ever has. Even the number of fights left on his deal is a matter of dispute: MMA Junkie reported two, leaving one after Saturday, while Moicano told MMA Fighting he has three left including this card. [3] Either way, the end of the deal is close enough to see.
"I don't want compliments. I want money."
Fight week gave Moicano a perfect stage for that mood. Nolan, 26, had called him one of his heroes growing up. Told about it at media day, Moicano did not do the respectful-veteran thing. [1]
"F that, Tom Nolan. I'm gonna beat your f a bro, stop that s**," he said. "No, no. I don't want compliments I want money." [1][4]
It is the most Moicano answer possible, and it fits the week he has had. This main event only exists because his rematch with Brian Ortega fell through for a second time. He has called Nolan a tougher stylistic challenge than Ortega, and a win over the Australian would still improve his resume. But the romance of it? He is not interested. [1][5]
Nolan, for his part, has not backed off the admiration — or the ambition. "Obviously, fighting a legend and a hero of mine growing up is a cool thing," he said. "But ultimately, it's the ranking I'm coming for." [2]
He says he manifested this fight: he called Moicano out, watched the Ortega booking come together instead, and figured Ortega would pull out. He even accepted the fight on a week's notice at one point. "When we're in there on Saturday, it's not going to matter who's in front of me," he said. [2]
The numbers behind the farewell talk
Moicano's case for one more run is right there in the record. He is 21-7-1, in the UFC since 2014, and his last fight was a second-round submission of Chris Duncan in April that stopped a two-fight skid. Before that skid, he had won nine of ten. [3]
The skid itself tells the story of where he sits. The last time he fought for more than a ranking, the call came on weigh-in day: Arman Tsarukyan withdrew from UFC 311 in January 2025, and Moicano stepped up to face Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title. Makhachev finished him with a D'Arce choke at 4:05 of round one. Five months later he lost a unanimous decision to Beneil Dariush. [3]
Nolan arrives from the opposite direction. He is 11-1, has won five straight since losing his UFC debut to Nikolas Motta in January 2024, and beat Fares Ziam by unanimous decision in June. [1] When Nolan made his amateur debut in 2016, Moicano was already in the UFC. [2]
That is what makes Saturday strange and good at the same time. One man is fighting for the next step of his career. The other is fighting while openly wondering how many steps are left. The full stat comparison is in our Moicano vs. Nolan head-to-head preview, and the complete card is on the UFC Vegas 123 event page.
Saturday settles the fight. The contract question settles itself after that.
Sources
1. Sportskeeda — "Stop that s*" - Renato Moicano goes on expletive filled rant after Tom Nolan calls Brazilian one of his heroes
2. MMA Junkie — Tom Nolan explains how he manifested UFC main event vs. 'hero' Renato Moicano
3. Sportskeeda — "Maybe I fight my contract out and that's it" - Renato Moicano unsure about UFC future
4. MMA Mania — Moicano doesn't want Nolan's compliments: 'I'm going to beat your ass'
5. Combat Sports UK — Renato Moicano on Tom Nolan's hero praise: 'I don't want compliments. I want money.'
6. UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) on Instagram — Moicano reacts to Nolan's hero praise at UFC Vegas 123 media day; Dana White (@danawhite) on Instagram — UFC Vegas 123 fight week promo
Fight data compiled from public statistical sources (ufcstats.com) and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). OctagonStats is an independent database, not affiliated with UFC / TKO Group.