Renato Moicano calls out 'oldest guy in the division' Michael Chandler after UFC 317 loss
Moicano (20-7-1 MMA, 12-7 UFC) lost a unanimous decision to Beneil Dariush (23-6-1 MMA, 17-6-1 UFC) last month at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, marking his second-straight setback.
The 36-year-old wants another aging lightweight, and thinks it's the perfect timing for him to be matched up with the skidding Michael Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC), who dropped his third-straight fight against Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314.
"To be completely honest with you, the oldest guy in the division (is who I should fight)," Moicano said on his "Show Me The Money" podcast. "Not Dariush – Michael Chandler. I think that fight makes a lot of sense. There is not a better time for the fight. I have been talking sh*t to Chandler for so long, and if I lose to him, brother, I will have to kill myself."
Moicano found early success when he knocked down Dariush at the end of Round 1 and almost finished him. However, Dariush was able to rally by using his grappling and outlast the fading Moicano.
"I thought he was done," Moicano said of Dariush after Round 1. "Because I remember exactly the way Charles (Oliveira) put him out. It was kind of the same because he was backing up on the cage, then I hit him. But unfortunately, every time that I did that, I tried to go to the neck because I always get the rear-naked choke, but Dariush was surviving very well.
"He was not giving the back. He was scrambling, and he is very good at scramble and jiu-jitsu. I should have kept striking or even let him get up. I was way quicker than him, I had the speed advantage, but at the same time I was f*cking smoking cigarettes the whole time, bro. No I didn't, but it was looking like I did. Brother, I was so f*cking tired, I cannot believe myself."
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USA Today
a few seconds ago
- USA Today
Can champ Dricus Du Plessis become first to solve Khamzat Chimaev puzzle at UFC 319?
South African middleweight champ DDP goes after third title defense in Chicago MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC 319 main event title fight between middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev. Dricus Du Plessis UFC 319 preview Staple info: Supplemental info: Khamzat Chimaev UFC 319 preview Staple info: Supplemental info: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev point of interest: Chaotic combat The main event for UFC 319 features a middleweight title fight between two fighters who thrive inside of chaos. A marauding madman from South Africa, Dricus Du Plessis is a deceptively well-prepared fighter with a style that can be difficult to get a beat on. Fueled by unbridled confidence and an insane athletic drive, discouraging Du Plessis appears to be a near-impossible task. Whether he's looking to counter off a high guard or is blitzing forward spastically, Du Plessis always appears to be focused on the task at hand. The current middleweight champion is also competent in both stances and regularly shifts to southpaw, which further flusters opponents who are already struggling to grasp his awkward timing. However, despite the steady improvements that Du Plessis has been displaying in his striking, he is not beyond being taxed down the centerline for his aggressiveness. Enter Khamzat Chimaev. Despite coming from a wrestling base, Khamzat Chimaev appears to be comfortable striking from both stances. The Chechen fighter can fire off snappy jabs from either side, which, in turn, help him follow up with power shots. Unless his opponent carries a decent grappling pedigree, Chimaev usually wastes little time extending striking exchanges before looking to change his levels and wrestle. However, in fights that are extended, we've seen Chimaev play a bit more with open-stance looks on the feet. Whether Chimaev is throwing his favored front kick or looking to line up a wicked right hand, he seems to be gaining a taste for open-stance affairs. That said, Chimaev's skills don't exactly shine through in the defensive department, so the 31-year-old will need to make sure he respects the offense from fellow stance-switcher, Du Plessis. Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev breakdown: Wrestler's wrath Considering the arguable crux of Chimaev's game, winning the wrestling will remain paramount for both parties. Wrestling since the age of five, Chimaev has seemingly adapted to the grappling arts like second nature. From a lightning-fast shot to incredible wherewithal within the clinch, the 10-year pro seems to have it all from a wrestling perspective. Chimaev shows a lot of the freestyle (and even Greco) looks that you would associate with his part of the world, yet also demonstrates a lot of the positional rides that traditionally come easier to American folkstyle wrestlers. And when Chimaev took the back of Li Jingliang at UFC 267, the Chechen fighter showed off some very competent jiu-jitsu to close to show via rear-naked choke. From early in his regional career to his battle with Gilbert Burns, Chimaev has shown solid submission and wrestling defense in multiple scenarios. Whether someone is looking for Chimaev's legs or attempting to re-guard, the product from the Allstars Training Center typically gives his opposition very little to work with – all while staying busy with offense of his own. Nevertheless, I still believe that Chimaev cannot afford to overlook Du Plessis' skills. Coming from a background in both judo and wrestling, Du Plessis is no stranger when it comes to the takedown aspect of mixed martial arts. Sure, there are certainly some failed lateral drop highlights that aren't the most flattering for Du Plessis if you dig deep enough, but the 31-year-old has his head in the right place in regards to timing and tactics. For example, Du Plessis may not prioritize position over submission in the classic sense, but the South African fighter is good about using said submissions to transition into superior positions that allow him to get off damage. Du Plessis is also good at using the cage to stand or create scrambles when it's available, and demonstrates other tools ranging from empty-half guard tactics to knee-to-elbow escapes when put on his back. And when building back to his base, Du Plessis is smart about keeping low underhooks when re-wrestling and swimming for singles – a small detail that could be the difference-maker against the front-choke counters from Chimaev. When Du Plessis can achieve top position, the current champ is a good guard passer who carries his own inter-play off front-choke threats, typically looking to establish damage whenever possible. However, I'm not sure how much top time "Still Knocks" will be seeing in this fight. Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev odds The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the challenger, listing Chimaev -245 and Du Plessis +194 via FanDuel. Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev prediction, pick Considering the unrelenting amount of hype that's been bestowed on Chimaev since touching down in the octagon, it's no surprise to see him favored over the sitting champion in this spot. Borderline uncomfortable glazing aside, Chimaev is an undeniably ferocious talent and the best first-round fighter we've seen since a prime B.J. Penn. Should Chimaev come out and immediately storm Du Plessis' proverbial castle with success, then none of us should be shocked if the Chechen fighter ends up finding the finish on his South African counterpart. Still, I can't help but wonder what happens if Du Plessis can survive considering his similar tactical choices to one Kamaru Usman – who was able to survive Chimaev's initial storm and show some potential holes in his game. Chimaev may not have been healthy for said outing opposite Usman, but that doesn't change the fact that we've yet to see "Borz" convincingly win a third frame, much less a fourth or fifth. Whereas Du Plessis, who is very familiar with five-round affairs, traditionally does well over 25 minutes due to his consistent output and ability to adjust. In fact, preparation and the ability to adjust appear to be a point of pride for both Du Plessis and his training camp. And though it can feel like you're watching an episode of "OZ" with the way Du Plessis interacts with his head coach, Morne Visser, in the corner, there's no denying their chemistry as they always appear to be dialed in on objectives regardless of how the fight is going. Despite Chimaev having multiple ways of winning this fight (including on the feet via his straight punches and body teeps), I still find myself siding with the underdog in Du Plessis. I don't disagree with Chimaev being favored to win, but I can't help but lean toward the more proven product who doesn't mind having to be the nail en route to winning. A quick finish wouldn't shock me if Chimaev can get to his favored positions fast, but I believe that the challenger's lack of pacing control will cost him come the middle rounds if his gambits fail to produce dividends. It's not a popular pick, but I'll officially side with Du Plessis to survive early and pull away down the stretch to force a stoppage in Round 4. Prediction: Du Plessis inside the distance Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev start time, how to watch As the main event, Du Plessis and Chimaev are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 12:15 a.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on pay-per-view via ESPN+.
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Demetrious Johnson on Dricus Du Plessis and Khamzat Chimaev's keys to victory at UFC 319
Demetrious Johnson broke down the Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev fight, then gave his prediction. Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) defends his middleweight title against Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in Saturday's UFC 319 main event (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at United Center in Chicago. Johnson started out with keys to victory for Chimaev, who's most recent wins have come over former UFC champions Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker. "Key to victory No. 1 for Khamzat Chimaev is he's got to make sure he wins that first round in that first clash," Johnson said on his YouTube channel. "When they come head-to-head in the beginning, and he decides to shoot from way outside of the void, he's got to win that grappling exchange because if he doesn't win that grappling exchange, I think that's going to do something to him mentally. Key No. 2, I hope he worked on if he failed that first clash, because if he didn't work on that, he's going to be straight dog doodoo. "It's not a lot of keys to victory for Khamzat. It's more about, is he prepared to go to the third round? I mean, he's gone three rounds, but those three rounds he's went against, the Gilbert Burns fight was a back-and-forth war. When he fought Kamaru Usman, I felt that Kamaru Usman kind of slowed down – he was shadow boxing the entire time. Nothing was really going on. We've never seen Khamzat shoot a shot when he desperately has to. We always see Khamzat shoot on his behalf when he wants to." The former UFC flyweight champion then went onto give Du Plessis' keys to victory, and ultimately picked him to retain his title. "Key to victory No. 1 for DDP is you have to win that first exchange, as well," Johnson said. "The first clash is always the one that dictates what's going to happen when you fight Khamzat, so DDP's got to make sure he wins that first one. Key No. 2: Push the pace. When (Chimaev) seems to fail on those clashes, that's when you see a little weakness in his armor, is that his cardio isn't insane. But once again, that credits to his health. "He was always gassed out, he was always overtrained when he would fight. I'm going to have to go DDP just because DDP has fought the best of the best of the division. This guy's able to throw a right hand, fall, slip on a banana peel, and for some reason the (opponent) falls over. It just doesn't make sense how he's able to get things done, and he has a style where it forces people to do things that shouldn't have worked essentially. So for that, I'm going to go with DDP."
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Kamaru Usman picks former foe Khamzat Chimaev to dethrone Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319
Kamaru Usman expects Khamzat Chimaev to test Dricus Du Plessis' grappling like never before. Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) will look to notch his third title defense when he takes on Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in Saturday's UFC 319 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) main event at United Center in Chicago. Former UFC welterweight champion Usman is not surprised that Chimaev is a favorite over Du Plessis, and sees him living up to his championship potential. "Don't forget, DDP hasn't really fought a wrestler since Derek Brunson," Usman said on his "Pound 4 Pound" podcast with Henry Cejudo. "We saw how that looked in the first couple of rounds. Derek eventually gassed out and DDP does what he does best. DDP will not give up. That's what we love about him. He will not give up. DDP will continue to try. If DDP continues to try, and if Khamzat Chimaev hasn't done his work with that cardio, then I see DDP definitely turning this one around. But for me, this is a very, very tough one. "I think Khamzat Chimaev might actually go out there and get it done. If you look at the landscape of where we are right now, it's almost like every so often we get a turn, we get a new generation of guys that come out and just become the superstars of the game. You're talking Conor McGregor out of nowhere, the superstars of the game. You're talking about Alexander Volkanovski, Israel Adesanya. You're talking about Ilia Topuria. Now look at the landscape. We've got Tom Aspinall and you've got potentially Khamzat Chimaev." Usman was edged out by Chimaev in a majority decision loss at UFC 294 in October 2023. He took the fight on short notice and up a weight class, but Chimaev's early grappling attack proved to be too much.
