Cannot Afford To Lose

via sportslumo.com & mmajunkie.com

Recent developments have caused the card to shift dramatically. The main event has been altered only two days before UFC 311. Title challenger Arman Tsaruykan has pulled out of his lightweight championship fight against Islam Makhachev due to injury. The extent and severity of the injury is still unknown. However, sources have indicated that it occurred during the weight-cutting process for Tsarukyan. This is devastating news for MMA fans, who were expecting a brilliant main event between the two best lightweights in the world. Nonetheless, the show must continue, and we have Renato Moicano to thank for it.

Moicano is a UFC veteran fighting for the company for over a decade. His tenure has been nothing short of impressive, with his career being split between the featherweight and lightweight divisions. Moicano was always a perineal contender in the featherweight division but could never break through into the upper echelon of 145ers. However, since his move to lightweight, the veteran now looks like a formidable threat, riding a four-fight win streak, including dominant victories over Jalin Turner and Benoît Saint-Denis. Moicano’s high-level grappling will pose a significant threat to the champion, Islam Makhachev, and his style is tailor-made to counter the Dagestani’s dominant wrestling. Moicano’s ability to weather adversity, rally in the later rounds, and maul his opponents may present problems for Makhachev. We’ve seen the champion come on strong in the early rounds, but as the fight gets longer, we know Moicano will dig in and continue pushing forward. Ultimately, this fight is nearly insurmountable for the Brazillian, who is coming in as a six-to-one underdog. However, if he can mitigate his opponent's wrestling, drag the fight longer, and implement his world-class cardio, we could see the biggest upset in UFC history. As for Moicano's previous opponent, Beneil Dariush, he will be removed from the card with hopes of being booked shortly. Despite being a nine-to-one favorite, Makhachev must take this challenge seriously if he looks to continue his pursuit for a second belt.

The odds are stacked against him; no one thinks he’ll be able to pull it off. But as Moicano has said many times before, he cannot afford to lose. Will the champion continue his dominant reign, or will the Money Man shockingly steal the title? All questions will be answered on Saturday night.