'Money' by name, 'Money' by nature: Despite being submitted in the first round of UFC 311, Renato Moicano's stock certainly didn't drop – and neither did his bank account.
It is a difficult situation for Renato Moicano. On the one hand, the fan-favorite lightweight may never get the chance to fight for a UFC championship title again.
On the other hand, he has developed himself into one of the most popular athletes on the entire roster and earned a pretty penny in the process; but how much did he make from UFC 311?
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Renato Moicano reveals staggering payday of fight against Islam Makhachev
In the immediate aftermath of UFC 311: Makhachev vs Moicano, the California State Athletic Commission has released the base purses for each of the fighters who competed on January 18.
According to that initial report, Renato Moicano earned a base salary of $250,000.
However, the popular Brazilian has now revealed that he has earned far more than a quarter of a million – and that's before sponsorships and endorsements, of which we think there are plenty.
“Someone told me that after Arman pulled out, they sold even more Pay-Per-Views,” Moicano explained via the Show Me The Money Podcast, citing the increase in purchases “because everyone was excited” about the late change of opponent.
“You don't see that often [in the UFC].
“I got a nice check,” the popular lightweight teased, before his co-host started a 'Higher or Lower' game based on the current price of Bitcoin.
According to Moicano's not-so-subtle nod, he earned a total of “more than nine Bitcoin”; meaning he made at least $950,000 from his title fight against Islam Makhachev.
While $950,000 is a nice amount of money, 'Money' certainly wasn't happy with the fact that a large portion of that amount went to the IRS, instead of straight into his back pocket.
“Man, damn California brother – if you live in California, I feel for you brother. That state sucks brother, I think California is even worse [than New York] … The taxation was insane, insane.”
Moicano explains why crowd support became an issue at UFC 311
That podcast episode came a few days after UFC 311 hit the books, though Moicano shared a full reaction video on his YouTube channel less than 48 hours after the event.
In that video, the Brazilian noted that hearing boos from the LA crowd over Makhachev's early elimination made him immediately want to get back on his feet, even if it meant risking being tapped.
“The crowd started booing and I said, 'Man, I gotta get back on my feet because my feet are doing really well.' That was the problem.
“Even though he couldn't find the space to hit me or ground and stomp me effectively, I just wanted to get back on my feet so I could score with the strike.
“When I started to create the space to get back on my feet while climbing, he kind of made me feel like I could put my foot on his hips and get back up.
“But he did that so I could expose my neck. Then he grabbed with a D'arce choke and was very fast. That's why I tapped so fast because it was very locked down.”
Moicano didn't take much damage in that title fight, meaning we could see him back in action much sooner than many realize – could a Renato Moicano vs. Paddy Pimblett fight finally come to fruition in mid-2025?
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