Earlier in February, fighters who competed in the UFC between 2010 and 2017 were all set to receive a portion of the $375M Le vs. Zuffa antitrust lawsuit settlement. Each fighter would receive an amount based on the number of his or her fights in the organization. For Renato Moicano, with six fights in the UFC during the said time period, the settlement amount was around $200K. However, about a week ago, ‘Money’ announced that he did not take the settlement cheque. According to many, including the former UFC star Brendan Schaub, this move wasn’t a smart one. Nevertheless, Moicano remained adamant and even sidelined the UFC big guns like Hunter Campbell and Dana White. 

Taking to The Brendan Schaub Show, the former TUF runner-up said, “[Moicano] is brainwashed [and] thinks he’s being a company man by not taking the lawsuit money. He thinks that he’s showing loyalty to the [expletive] man by not taking this money that he’s earned.” Even the famed MMA journalist, Luke Thomas, called him “irrational beyond words.” But for Moicano, taking the money would mean going against his principles. 

‘Money’ announced his take on a previous episode of the Show Me The Money podcast and had a hard time convincing Matty Betss of his stance. He claimed, “All the fighters that I got money, they are f——, no morals. […] The free check, the free money.” Now that the co-host of the podcast was convinced of Moicano’s principles, he stood against Schaub and everyone else who criticized ‘Money’. However, Moicano paid no attention to such callouts. 

The lightweight contender said, “That is no problem because like I say, people see you through his lens. So, maybe, he would think that, you know. He would say, ‘If I did, if I do that, it’s because of that.’ But again, he don’t know me, never talked to me. I don’t know him. He doesn’t have a clue about what I believe, you know. So, it’s easy for him to, maybe it’s his thinking. Not me.” And then he revealed the call that he got from Campbell. 

Moicano continued, “But I should not say that, but even Hunter called me and say, ‘Hey, take the f—— money. Take the f—— money.’ And I say, ‘Hunter, it’s not about you, brother. Don’t worry too much. I don’t care about what you think or Dana White thinks. I don’t care. It’s about what I believe.’ So, it’s not for the UFC for sure, you know. I could not care less. That’s the truth.” 

Needless to say, the criticism kept on coming for Moicano’s actions regarding the UFC antitrust lawsuit settlement. But his fellow Brazilian fighter, Gilbert Burns, had some advice for him. Let’s take a look at it. 

Gilbert Burns has noteworthy advice for Renato Moicano

It was evident that the UFC wasn’t going to recover the money that Renato Moicano turned down. Only 3% of fighters declined the settlement, and the unclaimed amount would simply be redistributed among the remaining 97%. In hindsight, it seemed like a poor decision by the #11-ranked lightweight contender. However, Gilbert Burns offered a piece of advice that could have allowed Moicano to accept the money while still standing by his principles.

Disagreeing with his podcast partner, ‘Durinho’ said, “The money is already in the court account to be paid to everyone who fought between 2010 and 2017, and they have until July 28 to sign. If Moicano doesn’t agree, I completely understand, but then he should donate the money to a social project, an orphanage or some charity. The point is, if you refuse to sign, the money will be divided among the lawyers and other fighters involved in the lawsuit.”

While Moicano stood firm, Burns offered a path that honored both ethics and impact, sparking fresh debate on how fighters handle such moral dilemmas. Now the question is, will Moicano receive and donate the money if Campbell or White call him up once again? Do let us know what you think in the comments down below.