Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Where Is Renato Moicano From and What Is His MMA Record?

From Brasília to the UFC Spotlight: Tracking Renato Moicano’s Journey and Fight Record

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Renato Moicano, born Renato Alves Carneiro, has carved out a lasting presence in the MMA scene for more than a decade. He currently competes in the UFC’s stacked lightweight division. He first broke onto the scene in 2010, submitting Alexandre Almeida at Jungle Fight 18, a win that marked the beginning of a steady rise and eventually earned him the promotion’s interim featherweight title. Since then, he has racked up 27 professional fights.

The nickname “Moicano,” meaning “mohawk” in Portuguese, was given to him during his early jiu-jitsu days, a nod to his hairstyle at the time. He brought that same flair into the UFC in 2014, debuting with a slick rear-naked choke win over Tom Niinimaki at Fight Night 58. His most recent outing saw him challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight crown at UFC 311 in January 2025, a bout he lost via brabo choke, snapping a four-fight win streak.

The moment when Renato Moicano became Money Moicano. No more dishreshpect pic.twitter.com/QGn9DGS2aG
— MMA On Point (@OnPointMMA) June 25, 2025

Renato Moicano’s Nationality

Renato Moicano is a Brazilian mixed martial artist, born on May 21, 1989, in Brasília, Distrito Federal. Though he originally planned to study law, his lifelong connection to martial arts, starting with judo at age eight, ultimately led him down a different path. Moicano left law school behind to chase a fighting career just after two years.

Renato Moicano MMA Record

Renato Moicano’s MMA record is 20-6. The rest is as follows:

27 Matches	Wins	Losses
By Knockout	2	3
By Submission	10	2
By Decision	8	1
Draws	1

Renato Moicano and Beneil Dariush go back and forth 😭😭

“Only one old man in this f***ing town… by the way I’m younger than you motherf***er, 15 days.”

🎥 @ufc #UFC317 pic.twitter.com/E79BTFr1CX
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 26, 2025

Who has Renato Moicano lost to?

Renato Moicano holds a professional MMA record of 20 wins, 6 losses, and 1 draw, an early-career majority draw against Felipe Froes at Shooto Brazil 36 in 2012. Known for his grappling skills, 10 of his 20 victories have come by submission.

While his defeats have been spread across a variety of opponents. His first loss came via guillotine choke against Brian Ortega at UFC 214 in 2017. In 2019, he suffered back-to-back TKO defeats to Jose Aldo and Jung Chan-Sung. Moicano was knocked out by Rafael Fiziev at UFC 256 in 2020 and later dropped a decision to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 272 in 2022.

Most recently, he challenged Islam Makhachev for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 311 in January 2025 but was submitted via brabo choke, his sixth career loss.

ISLAM MAKHACHEV SUBMITS RENATO MOICANO IN ROUND 1 😤 #UFC311 pic.twitter.com/TfyPiVDb0s
— ESPN (@espn) January 19, 2025

Is Renato Moicano a Black Belt?

Yes, Renato Moicano is a black belt in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, with the former under Alex Leleco.

Also Read: Who Are Ilia Topuria’s Girlfriend and Kids? Inside the Fighter’s Life Beyond the Octagon

Renato Moicano

Rudra Dubey

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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.