It’s “Money” time.
Renato Moicano is all of a sudden in a UFC championship fight, as the fan-favorite veteran has stepped up to replace an injured Arman Tsarukyan and take on UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 311 in Inglewood, Calif.
The announcement was during at Friday’s morning weigh-ins, as UFC CEO Dana White revealed that Tsarukyan was having back issues and couldn’t compete. A wild mix up for the UFC’s first pay-per-view of the year.
Below is how fighters and others in the MMA community reacted to the title change.
MMA Junkie
BREAKING: Arman Tsarukyan is OUT of the #UFC311 main event.
Islam Makhachev vs. Renato Moicano now headlines for the lightweight championship on Saturday, per Dana White. pic.twitter.com/1Sl4bWrBqH
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 17, 2025
Dana White
BREAKING NEWS!!!!
Makhachev will now be facing Moicano for the lightweight title. #UFC311 is LIVE TOMORROW on @ESPNPlus PPV! pic.twitter.com/2JZevvpQP2
— danawhite (@danawhite) January 17, 2025
Renato Moicano
Hey guess what I will be world champion tomorrow! God is so good! Thank you all the support #ufc311
— Renato Moicano (@moicanoufc) January 17, 2025
Danny Segura
BREAKING NEWS!!!!
Makhachev will now be facing Moicano for the lightweight title. #UFC311 is LIVE TOMORROW on @ESPNPlus PPV! pic.twitter.com/2JZevvpQP2
— danawhite (@danawhite) January 17, 2025
Michael Chandler
Wow….on a plane to LA and just saw the news. What a sport we are in… #ufc311
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) January 17, 2025
UFC
What a wild turn of events, UFC is the greatest show on earth! https://t.co/zM4WEqzLWT
— Aiemann Zahabi (@Aiemannzahabi) January 17, 2025
Dustin Poirier
Hit me up @ufc 💸 https://t.co/F1Ky2Fajlx
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) January 17, 2025
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
178lbs… I promise you Islam weighs more than me today https://t.co/3wlRM5BoQ6
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) January 17, 2025
Terrance McKinney
Give Renato the money and let him fight 💰
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) January 17, 2025
Aiemann Zahabi
What a wild turn of events, UFC is the greatest show on earth! https://t.co/zM4WEqzLWT
— Aiemann Zahabi (@Aiemannzahabi) January 17, 2025
Diego Lopes
📞? 🤨😏#UFC311
— Diego Lopes 🇧🇷🇲🇽 (@Diegolopesmma) January 17, 2025
Dan Tom
Aaron Bronsteter
Dana White on weigh-in show: “Around 1 am last night we got a call from Arman Tsarukyan and he let us know that he was experiencing significant back pain and felt that he was not healthy enough to compete, so he’s out of the fight. Stepping in to face Islam Makhachev for the…
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) January 17, 2025
Spinning Back Fist
Islam is -900 vs Moicano on @DKSportsbook pic.twitter.com/vRjcwwoj04
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) January 17, 2025
Anatomy of a Fighter
Salute to Islam and Moicano for late notice changes. I feel for Benny. #UFC311
— Anatomy of a Fighter (@WillHarrisAOAF) January 17, 2025
Alan Jouban
Holy crap! What a shake up at the last hour. Thankfully the UFC was prepared for and changes and we still get a good fight. But that Arman fight is what we have to see next. https://t.co/schJ6JRLBD
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) January 17, 2025
Ricky Simon
Moicano getting that monnnneyyy 🤑 https://t.co/I6uDDdn0dP
— Ricky Simón (@RickySimonUFC) January 17, 2025
Matt Wells
— Matthew Wells (@MrMWells) January 17, 2025
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
