Will Renato Moicano and Chris Duncan’s relationship remain the same? That has been a hot question after both American Top Team teammates agreed to face each other in the UFC Vegas 115 main event. The reason? History has it that when two of the most well-known former champions from the same camp fought, their association turned sour. And a former ATT coach hopes that history doesn’t repeat itself.

Din Thomas was the trainer of former welterweight champ Robbie Lawler, who received the UFC Hall of Fame honor at UFC 313 last year. But when another ex-170 lbs champ, Tyron Woodley, entered the gym and chose Thomas as his head coach, ‘Ruthless’ felt distanced and stopped talking to Thomas for five years. So, as the two get ready to collide this week, the ex-coach believes they will be mature enough to deal with their emotions.   

“We’ve been through this before at American Top Team, ironically, and I gotta be honest with you guys, I didn’t like it, it was a bad situation,” Thomas said during the UFC Vegas 115 preview show. “Maybe at that time we didn’t have the maturity to deal with it. It was Tyron Woodley and Robbie Lawler, and it was five years; my relationship with Robbie Lawler was at a standstill. 

We didn’t get along for five years because of that particular matchup. Hopefully, they get the maturity to deal with it right now. But I’m telling you, at the time, teammates fighting each other was a bad idea.”     

Well, as Din Thomas called teammates fighting “a bad idea,” he wasn’t kidding. The former coach cornered Tyron Woodley during his first title defense at UFC 201 against ATT teammate Robbie Lawler. In front of a packed Atlanta crowd, ‘T-Wood’ knocked out ‘Ruthless’ in the very first round. But, contrary to what many expected, Lawler’s defeat didn’t end the rift between him and Thomas.

Following the defeat vs Woodley, the former welterweight champ left ATT and joined Hard Knocks 365. There, Lawler began preparing for a Woodley rematch, which ultimately fell apart due to ‘T-Wood’s hand injury. However, that’s not the only known rift at ATT. Even Amanda Nunes left the gym after Kayla Harrison joined the gym.

Now, as Renato Moicano and Chris Duncan prepare to face each other at UFC Vegas 115, the Brazilian has opened up about his feelings on fighting his teammate in the headliner.

Renato Moicano clears the air on facing Chris Duncan at UFC Vegas main event  

Ahead of the Fight Night event, fans believed tension would build between the two ATT teammates. However, Renato Moicano made it clear that he has nothing but respect for Chris Duncan. Citing the nature of the game, the Brazilian revealed that he’s only focused on getting the win this weekend, with no bad blood between them.

“I never thought that I would fight somebody from American Top Team, but it happens. Then I just have to be cordial. Respectful. I respect him,” Moicano told reporters on Wednesday. “I don’t have nothing against him. I just want to win. I want to win the fight, and I have no bad blood at all. Don’t get me wrong, I go over there to finish him.”

Following Moicano’s comments, the media also asked Duncan about his thoughts on sharing the cage with a fellow ATT fighter. As expected, the Scot had a similar response. He clarified that he has nothing but admiration for the Brazilian and that there will be no bad blood.

That said, what do you think about this weekend’s ATT clash? Let us know in the comments section below.