Renato Moicano announces retirement plans following UFC Vegas 123 loss

Renato Moicano has announced his intention to retire from professional mixed martial arts after completing his current UFC contract, which has approximately three fights remaining. The 37-year-old Brazilian fighter expressed a desire to avoid the career decline seen by fighters like Tony Ferguson, stating he wants to leave the sport while he still has passion and energy.

Following his retirement from MMA, Moicano expressed interest in pursuing influencer-style boxing. He also noted that he would be open to such matches if offered significant compensation, potentially between $500,000 and $1,000,000.

Moicano’s announcement follows a controversial TKO loss to Tom Nolan at UFC Vegas 123. During the bout, referee Dan Miragliotta stood the fighters up during a grappling exchange where Moicano appeared to be in a dominant position. The decision drew widespread criticism from analysts, including Joe Rogan and Big John McCarthy, who argued the intervention was unfair to the fighter in control. Moicano suggested the referee may have been influenced by crowd reactions, though he confirmed he does not intend to appeal the fight result.