Renato Moicano knew UFC 311 title fight was a possibility before it even happened

UFC star Renato Moicano knew that his getting a shot at the title at UFC 311 was a possibility before it even happened.

Tonight, Renato Moicano has the opportunity of a lifetime in front of him. In a dramatic turn of events, he will square off against Islam Makhachev with the UFC lightweight championship being on the line. Of course, this wasn’t the fight he was expecting, but it’s certainly not one he’s going to turn down.

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If he wins, it’d easily be one of the biggest upsets in mixed martial arts history. That isn’t to say that Moicano isn’t a great fighter, because he is. Still, beating someone like Makhachev – especially on late notice – is a whole new level of difficulty.

As it turns out, a few weeks back, Moicano gave an interview that indicated he had a feeling there could be a chance he’d get called up to the main event.

Moicano knew title shot could happen

“There was no conversation about [being the backup] but once they offered me the card and I knew the title fight would be on the line, who knows right? Who knows?” Moicano told MMA Fighting prior Friday’s shocking announcement.

“I was on the same card when Max Holloway could not make the weight and Al Iaquinta got his title shot [at UFC 223]. I don’t think he would ever get a title shot if it was not like that. For me, I will be ready. If somebody cannot make it to fight day, I can. So I will be over there for sure.”

“I’m not getting extra money [to serve as the backup],” Moicano said. “It’s just good for me to fight on the same night as the title fight because of course, I will get a lot of exposure and I can try to make my case to fight for a title.”

Quotes via MMA Fighting