Moicano Targets Pimblett After UFC 311 Loss
Renato Moicano called for a fight with Paddy Pimblett after Islam Makhachev submitted him in a first-round title fight. The callout revived a matchup the lightweights had discussed before, but it did not become Moicano’s next fight. Sportsnet covered Moicano’s post-fight comments.
Moicano called out Pimblett after UFC 311
Moicano stepped in on short notice to challenge Makhachev for the lightweight title on Jan. 18, 2025. Makhachev won by D’Arce choke at 4:05 of Round 1. UFC’s official scorecards record the finish. After the loss, Moicano again named Pimblett as a potential opponent, according to Sportsnet’s report.
Both lightweights moved on to other fights
Moicano later returned to the win column against Chris Duncan at UFC Fight Night on April 4, 2026, submitting him with a rear-naked choke at 3:14 of Round 2. UFC’s official scorecards list the result.
Pimblett fought Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 in January 2026 and lost by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46). In July, he submitted Benoît Saint Denis by D’Arce choke at 0:52 of Round 1 at UFC 329. UFC’s UFC 324 scorecards and UFC 329 scorecards document those outcomes.
The proposed Moicano-Pimblett matchup remained unrealized as of October 2026. Their later records show separate paths: Moicano returned with a submission win, while Pimblett rebounded from his title-fight loss with a quick finish of Saint Denis.
