One lightweight contender knew exactly what matchup he wanted to call for when given the opportunity.
Renato Moicano stepped in to face Islam Makhachev the day before UFC 311 in January but now, his spot in the rankings is being targeted.
With the announcement of Justin Gaethje vs Rafael Fiziev 2 for UFC 313 on March 8, Moicano missed out on the opportunity to face ‘The Highlight’ despite putting his name in the mix.
‘Money’ is no stranger to using his time on the mic to state exactly what he wants in some of the most memorable post-fight interviews in recent times.
Following one of the highlights of UFC Vegas 103 on March 1, it was Moicano that had his name mentioned when Jon Anik stepped inside the Octagon to interview a surging contender.
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Nasrat Haqparast calls out Renato Moicano after hard fought split decision win
Having debuted in the UFC back in 2017, Nasrat Haqparast’s potential was setback by losses to the likes of Bobby Green and Dan Hooker.
Following those back-to-back defeats in 2021 and 2022, the 29-year-old has produced the best run of his career to date with five consecutive wins in the lightweight division.
At UFC Vegas 103, Haqparast got his hand raised against Esteban Ribovics who once again produced an entertaining and high pace contest over three rounds.
All three judges scored the final round for Ribovics but two judges gave the Tristar Gym fighter the first two in order to award Haqparast the win via a split decision.
In his post-fight interview, the in-form 155-pounder called out one name and one name only, the #10-ranked Renato Moicano.
Before his recent first-round submission loss to the lightweight champion at UFC 311, Moicano was riding a four-fight win streak which included a dominant victory over Benoit Saint Denis in Paris.
Who else could Nasrat Haqparast fight next?
If Renato Moicano isn’t available, Nasrat Haqparast still deserves the opportunity to fight a ranked opponent next after the win streak he’s put together.
Whilst the likes of Rafael Fiziev, Paddy Pimblett and Jalin Turner, who are all ranked below Moicano, are currently booked in big fights, there are two other names that would be suitable matchups.
The aforementioned Benoit Saint Denis is yet to make his Octagon return following his one-sided defeat to ‘Money’ in September.
One final name in the top 15 is Grant Dawson who is also riding the momentum of a good run with three consecutive wins under his belt having already got his hand raised in 2025.