00:07One of the most fun, most talented stars in all of the UFC.
00:12Renato Money Moicano joining us here.
00:14He's fighting this weekend, UFC 317.
00:18And he's going to be taking on Benil Darius, a matchup that was going to happen.
00:21But this man had bigger plans that kind of came to fruition the last time around.
00:25Money, thanks for the time, man.
00:27Really appreciate you.
00:28No problem, my friend.
00:29Thank you for having me on.
00:30I'm sure you've thought about this a little bit, but like you having the stones to step
00:35into a championship fight, days, hours notice, were there any regrets about it?
00:40Everybody wants a shot of the title on their terms with the full camp, but you having the
00:46guts to step up in that scenario, like were there any second thoughts after it was all
00:50said and done?
00:51Not at all.
00:52I'm very happy that I had the opportunity.
00:54I'm very happy what happened.
00:57I have no regrets.
00:58I have no regrets.
01:00Well, it was a heck of a show, man.
01:02I mean, obviously shows a lot of stones.
01:04This was the matchup you were supposed to have on that card against Darius.
01:08So what is that like mindset when you have to flip back to a guy that you were preparing
01:12for and kind of getting back into it?
01:18It's the same.
01:19It's a fight.
01:20You know, I'm prepared.
01:22For me, it's going to be a completely different fight because like you say, I took the fight
01:29on short notice, but I was prepared, but now I think I'm mentally better, you know?
01:34And I think on the second training camp, I did better.
01:40I trained better.
01:41My diet was better.
01:42So I'm feeling 100% for this fight.
01:45When you like, you know, you get that opportunity, does it change your mindset at all as far as
01:51like, hey, what the level is of what are the things you got to tweak to get to?
01:56I know that Islam's moved on to another division, but just an idea of being a championship fighter,
02:01like did you carry anything from that experience?
02:03Yes, that was a good experience for me to fight for the belt, to fight against Islam.
02:10And that was a good opportunity.
02:12That didn't win my way, but I hope I have another chance to fight for the belt eventually.
02:21Same, man.
02:22I mean, it's always a party when Money Moicano's in there.
02:25So entertaining.
02:27So I want to get your thoughts on this.
02:29A couple of months back, you were on the broadcast for Dirty Boxing, on the Brazilian broadcast
02:35for it, and it was a new sport.
02:37I was broadcasting on the English side of that thing.
02:39What is your thought of that as a sport?
02:42Like, it felt like it was all action.
02:45The whole atmosphere was kind of a party.
02:47What was your experience seeing these first couple of Dirty Boxing cards?
02:52I like it a lot.
02:53I think that it's one more place that people can fight, right?
02:58People can watch fights.
03:01And I like the format, you know?
03:04I like boxing, but with ground and pound, and you have elbows and spinning elbows and punches.
03:13I personally, I love it, you know?
03:15What do you think?
03:16Do you like it?
03:17Oh, dude, I think it's so cool.
03:18But the thing that was crazy about it was there was this one fight on the last one with
03:23Francisco Trinaldo fighting EC Moon, who was a boxer.
03:27And I think it was just crazy to see, like, a guy who's been boxing a long time finally
03:32have to deal with elbows.
03:34And I, like, I felt so bad because Trinaldo was like a damn buzzsaw, dude.
03:38I thought that was insane.
03:40And I think that that's such a funny thing with, like, we always talk about the boxing
03:43and MMA, but, man, I don't think the boxers, as great as they are with the strike,
03:47I don't think they realize, like, what it's like adding those tools.
03:50So that's been really eye-opening to me.
03:52No, that's a very good point that you made because, exactly, like, you could tell the
04:00guy was a good boxer because he was under the stance, like, he was.
04:03But then he was like that.
04:04You have an opening.
04:05You have a huge opening on the middle of your guard.
04:08And Francisco Trinaldo just destroying it with elbows.
04:12That was very impressive.
04:13And you know what is impressive than that?
04:16Trinaldo is like almost 47.
04:19I think he is 47.
04:20That's unbelievable.
04:21The guy is almost 50 and still fighting.
04:24That guy is just a monster.
04:26You feel like you have any interest in fighting that long?
04:29Like, would that, like, as long as you're healthy?
04:31Or do you feel like...
04:31I hope not.
04:32I hope not.
04:3347?
04:34No, I hope not.
04:36Yeah.
04:36Yeah.
04:37Obviously, like...
04:3847 is like 11 years from now.
04:41I feel old now.
04:42Imagine 10 years from now.
04:45But there was a big retirement this week.
04:48Jon Jones announced that he's done.
04:50What was your reaction to that?
04:52I was impressed.
04:52I was impressed.
04:53I thought he would fight on us for now.
04:55I think UFC offer him a lot of money.
04:58But it is what it is.
05:01I don't know what's going on with Jon Jones.
05:03That is this car accident with the police.
05:07I don't know exactly what happened.
05:09I don't know if it was that.
05:10But it is what it is.
05:13I wanted to see Jon Jones versus Thomas Pinal.
05:16I really wanted to see.
05:18You know, if Jon Jones beat Thomas Pinal,
05:20I think that that would be, like, undisputed the greatest of all times.
05:24But now, I don't know.
05:27Yeah, I think we all did.
05:29I think we all felt that way.
05:30And you never seem like you know what's going on with Jon Jones.
05:32I'm glad that Aspinall has got clarity.
05:34Because is that going to be the hardest thing as a fighter?
05:36Just, like, the times when you're, like, left in the dark of, like,
05:40hey, what the hell is my path?
05:41What's my future?
05:42Like, how is it dealing with that as a professional fighter
05:45when you just don't have a clear plan of, like, what's coming up next
05:48or when it is?
05:49Yeah, especially Tom Aspinall.
05:52Like, he fought for the heavyweight, entering title, and he won.
05:58And then you're supposed to unify the titles.
06:01And then there was the whole crazy bullshit that was going on.
06:06Like, they're going to fight this and that.
06:08And then you're just waiting and you're wasting your prime years of your career.
06:15I don't like that at all.
06:16So, I think Jon Jones should not have done that.
06:19But, again, that's not me.
06:21That's Jones.
06:22He needs to – he needed to think about that before.
06:27Now he's retired.
06:28So, the UFC just will keep going.
06:31As a South Florida guy, have you adopted the Florida Panthers at all?
06:36I see, you know, your boy Gilbert Burns, he's big into the South Florida sports.
06:40What about this money?
06:41Can we get you – are you on the Panthers bandwagon down here now?
06:45Man, I have to tell you, I have to watch other sports.
06:49I just watch MMA.
06:50I just watch MMA.
06:51I have a podcast, MMA, with Gilbert Burns.
06:54And I have all this stuff going on on YouTube.
06:56So, I'm always watching fights and doing, like, videos.
07:01So, it's not that I don't have time.
07:03But I think I don't have a lot of people around me that watch other sports.
07:08So, we've been, I believe, in Florida for a couple years ago.
07:12And a couple years.
07:13So, I go to the gym.
07:15There are all Brazilians or Americans that watch fights.
07:19So, I don't have friends that watch other sports.
07:21But I need to – I need to – I need to find other sports, like hockey, right?
07:28We need to.
07:29Because we need to get you – you got to see – I need you judging some of the fights on there.
07:32Because they get crazy.
07:33I mean, sometimes these guys are trying to – they're trying to throw punches while balancing on skates.
07:38Hey, I have heard about – they're trying to now – to make now a – like an MMA show.
07:45But it's just hockey fights.
07:47I saw some of that.
07:47Yeah, I saw – what do you think about that?
07:50I think it would be fun.
07:51I think the thing that's crazy about it is it's a little bit like – I guess in jiu-jitsu, you know how, like, you got to grab the gi sometimes if it's a gi match.
08:00It's a little bit like that, like, where, like, if you get the jersey and you get the leverage and you're trying not to fall on the ice.
08:06Because it's kind of like once they hit the ice, the reps don't let them keep going.
08:11Like, they try and break it up right away.
08:13But it's – I mean, listen, it can get gnarly.
08:16And especially if they don't fight or if you have a dirty skater and a guy's not looking, that dude will, like, crush you right into the boards.
08:25So you almost want to settle it sometimes with a fight.
08:27Yes, that's true.
08:30And the guy that does that, he got a penalty for that, for crush the guy on the wall?
08:35It depends.
08:35It depends if the guy has the puck or not.
08:37If so, if it's just a dirty hit and he doesn't have – if he has, like, no intention to skate around it, you'll get called for a penalty.
08:44Or if you shove – like, if he takes the stick and just mashes it into the guy's back, that'll get called.
08:50But sometimes they get away with it because the reps don't see it.
08:53So it's – just give it a shot.
08:56You and Gilbert, I think, need to go get down to Sunrise one time next year.
09:00I think you'll like it, Money.
09:03I will.
09:03I will try.
09:05So from this – has this camp gone completely smooth for you?
09:08Has this whole preparation – like, what's the physical feel like going into this matchup?
09:14Feeling great.
09:15Feeling really good on shape.
09:17My weight is good.
09:18Weight is going down.
09:20And I'm ready for Saturday.
09:22Any – with Benil, like, the fact that he hasn't fought in a while, though, he's got a distinguished resume.
09:28Like, is there any challenges of that, preparing for a guy who hasn't fought in a long time?
09:32No.
09:33No.
09:33I think he – I think even though he's not fighting on the last two years, he's still very competitive.
09:41He's still probably straining very hard at the training.
09:44But I don't keep that on mind.
09:45You know, I just focus on what I have to do on myself.
09:48And Saturday, we're going to find out.
09:51Og.
09:51And then on the – on your teammate there, Pantoja, defending for the – the belt there from ATT.
09:57What do you – what do you make of his matchup?
09:58How has he looked in the lead-up?
10:00Amazing.
10:01I was watching his – his sparrings at the gym.
10:05His – his wars.
10:07He's always beating up people and he's just a monster.
10:10The kid is a fucking monster.
10:12He really – like, it's crazy.
10:13Like, do you feel like he's got the potential?
10:15Like, it's hard to chase down, like, goats and stuff like that.
10:18But, man, he doesn't look like anybody's in his class right now.
10:21No.
10:21Yeah.
10:22I think – I think probably because he is 125, people don't give him enough credit.
10:27You know, because if somebody was doing that in – in the 45 on the 70, like, the titles
10:34and the fights, I think people would give him a lot more credit.
10:38But since he's 25, I don't know.
10:40UFC – I don't know if it's UFC or the – or the fans.
10:44But it was the same thing with Demetrius Johnson, right?
10:46Demetrius Johnson had the same problem.
10:48So, I think it's a weight division problem.
10:51And you got Taporia moving up for the title fight here.
10:55What do you make of his move up to lightweight?
10:57I think Taporia is a very good fighter, too.
11:00I think – I think he is very good.
11:02I don't know if he will beat Charles.
11:05I don't know if Charles will beat him.
11:07I don't know what's going on in that fight.
11:08But it's going to be an incredible matchup.
11:10And I'm going to watch live.
11:13When do you, like, know it's the right time?
11:14Because you moved up from feather to light.
11:16So, like, when do you, I guess, know?
11:18Because so much is made of all these champs jumping and whatnot.
11:20Like, when do you know as a fighter that it feels like the right time to get out of a weight class?
11:26Oh, that's very hard, you know?
11:27Because I have been – I have people – people have been asking me to move a long time ago.
11:36And I was – I was – no.
11:37I was afraid that 55 maybe people will be too big.
11:41That was not – I would be not competitive at the 155.
11:45But then you realize, man, it's the same, you know?
11:48It's not that different.
11:50It's not that different, you know?
11:51You need to get – you need to give you some time to get stronger, to prepare yourself, to move up.
11:57I think Topura probably did the right thing.
12:00And it's just a feeling.
12:03It's just a feeling.
12:03You have to – you have to go with your instincts.
12:07Well, man, it's always a delight watching you.
