Jose Aldo vs. Renato Moicano has been touted as a bout between the past and future of Brazil’s featherweight division. Aldo may only be 32 years old, but he has expressed plans to close out his 15 year professional career at the end of 2019. Moicano was slated as a back-up replacement for Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega at UFC 231. That fight never materialized for Moicano but it seems a win over Aldo could seal the deal for a featherweight title shot.
The two Brazilians showed respect for one another with a friendly high-five at the start of their fight. Both Aldo and Moicano showed fine speed and technique in the exchanges. Aldo, a former soccer player, showed off his trademark leg kicks at Moicano’s expense. Moicano’s long strikes kept Aldo on his toes, but Brazil’s pound-for-pound all-time great did a good job of keeping his hands up. Round one concluded just like it started with a friendly high-five. Both fighters landed in what was a closely-contested round.
Round two was nothing like the first. Five minutes of feeling out is all Aldo needed to pull the trigger. He came out aggressively in the second round A huge left hook caught Moicano’s attention and a follow-up shot to the body was the beginning of the end. Aldo chased Moicano like a man possessed, rattling combinations off his skull and torso. Moicano did his best to survive the berserker’s onslaught but the referee had seen enough. It seems Aldo’s retirement plan is going according to plan.
Official result: Jose Aldo def. Renato Moicano by TKO at 0:44 of round 2.
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