‘I would like to be a free agent’: Renato Moicano plans to fight out remainder of deal ahead of UFC

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Renato Moicano
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 04: Renato Moicano of Brazil reacts after a submission victory against Chris Duncan of Scotland in a lightweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Meta APEX on April 04, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Renato Moicano is ready to bet on himself.

The longtime UFC veteran is set to face Tom Nolan in the lightweight main event of UFC Vegas 123, which takes place Saturday at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas.

“Money” revealed that he has three fights left on his current deal heading into this weekend’s card, and at this point, he plans on fighting out his deal and testing his worth on the market.

“I don’t know [how I feel about that],” Moicano told MMA Fighting. “We have to wait and see. After I fight this [fight], fight the next, and I see how I feel, and how much money I’m making in the UFC. If the money is good, if it’s worth it, nice, let’s go. If not, I’ll have [other] stuff to take care of [me], you know?

“I have another business, I have this YouTube, I have the gym, I have other stuff that I’m doing. I’m starting to manage some guys in Brazil, too. I have this MMA show going on Dec. 5. So, who knows? I’m not making any plans.”

The 37-year-old recently snapped a two-fight skid — a championship stoppage loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January 2025, and a decision loss five months later to Beneil Dariush at UFC 317 — with a second-round submission victory over Chris Duncan in the main event of UFC Vegas 115 in April.

Moicano says money talks, certainly, but he seems steadfast on getting his remaining three fights done before making a decision on how he wants to continue his career.

“I want to fight this deal out for sure,” Moicano explained. “I want to do the whole thing and then let’s see what happens. I would like to be a free agent, too. … Just to see what it’s like, and in Brazil, I’m getting big, like getting popular. So who knows? Maybe boxing, influencing, something like that, doing all this stuff other than MMA.

“So I’m not too worried. I’m not too worried.”

Moicano was slated to face Brian Ortega in a rematch on two different occasions this year. First, at UFC 326 in March, and then again at UFC 331 in September. Both times, Ortega was forced to withdraw from the contest.

In fact, Moicano reveals the UFC attempted to put the bout together a third time, but is much happier facing a young, hungry fighter like Nolan — a winner of five straight.

“I was not expecting [Ortega to withdraw again], so I was a little bit frustrated, but it is what it is, you know? It is what it is,” Moicano said. “Actually they offered me Brian [again]. UFC asked me, ‘Do you want to fight Brian November in Qatar?’ And I say, hell no, I’m not gonna fighting Brian Ortega again, because I just cannot trust that he’s going to show up to the fight.

“Then I looked to the rankings and I saw Tom Nolan. Tom Nolan is a very good fighter, very dangerous, but I need to fight. My wife is [having] twins in December so I say I have to fight as soon as possible, because I’m going to be out for a loong time, especially [because] I have two [other] kids.”