“He’s a veteran, so he’s good at mixing it up. So he’s as good as it gets.” That’s how Beneil Dariush described Renato Moicano heading into UFC 317. And while it took every bit of his own veteran savvy to get the job done, Dariush walked out of the T-Mobile Arena victorious. The 36-year-old lightweight hadn’t seen a win inside the Octagon since 2022.  Two back-to-back first-round losses in 2023, plus a long layoff caused by injuries and bad timing, had many questioning if Dariush’s best days were behind him.

But at UFC 317, he put all the doubts to rest. The opening round didn’t go in his favor. Moicano stunned him with a beautiful straight right and nearly finished the job as Dariush hit the canvas. But true to form, Dariush weathered the storm. He came out in round two looking composed, landing a crisp counter before taking the fight to the mat. From there, he smothered Moicano with pressure, riding out control time and landing steady ground-and-pound.

Mixing in the threat of takedown with crisp striking, he didn’t let the Brazilian find his rhythm. By the final bell, it was clear Dariush had done enough. The judges agreed, awarding him a unanimous decision with three scores of 29-28. With that, Dariush snapped his skid and collected his 17th win in the UFC’s lightweight division, tying Donald Cerrone for the second-most wins all-time in the promotion, just behind Jim Miller’s 24.

While Dariush’s resurgence storyline played out perfectly, fans were left disappointed for another reason: Renato Moicano didn’t get to speak. The Brazilian lightweight has earned a cult following for his wild, passionate post-fight interviews. Since launching the catchphrase “Moicano wants money” at UFC 281, every mic moment has been must-watch TV. This time, there was no mic, and for many fans, that was the real loss of the night, as we take a look at what the MMA sphere had to say!

Beneil Dariush’s UFC 317 victory leaves the fans yearning for a Renato Moicano post-fight interview

Dillon Danis, known for stirring the pot, shared, “Renato Moicano is a—. UFC is f— up giving that in— Makhachev a free title defense and not giving Beneil Dariush the title shot that night. #UFC317”  While some brushed off Danis’ remarks as his typical trolling, his frustration wasn’t unique. A wave of fans questioned whether Moicano should’ve even fought Islam Makhachev back at UFC 311, arguing that Dariush deserved that shot after Tsarukyan pulled out. Now that Dariush has finally gotten his win, the debate is back in full swing.

Yet Renato Moicano’s fans, known for clinging to every wild post-fight promo, were devastated. One fan lamented, “Beneil Dariush stole a Money Moicano victory speech from us.” UFC fans have grown used to the Brazilian’s post-fight chaos, and when it didn’t come, the letdown was real.

Others focused on Moicano’s trajectory as they pointed out, “Money Moicano can’t afford to lose, and he’s lost his second straight fights. #UFC317” His last Octagon appearance was a short-notice title shot against Islam Makhachev at UFC 311. While he stepped in like a warrior, the loss didn’t do him any favors. And now, with another defeat, fans fear he may have lost more than just momentum.

One fan wrote, “Just a poor performance, he did drop him as well”, referring to Moicano’s first-round knockdown. The Brazilian certainly had his moments, but they simply weren’t enough to sway the judges or halt Beneil Dariush’s resurgence.

And finally, UFC welterweight Gilbert Burns, co-host of the Show Me The Money podcast with Moicano, wrote, “I’m so sad no crazy interview from guy money man tonight!” It’s not hard to understand why. Moicano has become one of the UFC’s most entertaining post-fight mic men, and with Dariush denying him the win, the MMA sphere will have to wait for his next victory to hear what he comes up with next!

To wrap things up, Beneil Dariush may have silenced the critics with a gutsy performance at UFC 317, but in doing so, he also unintentionally silenced one of the sport’s most entertaining voices. While the win marked a crucial turning point in Dariush’s career and placed him among the lightweight division’s all-time greats, for many fans, it came at the cost of a classic ‘Money Moicano’ moment!