Renato Moicano: Benoit Saint Denis definitely not easy money, ‘but I’m here to prove I’m better’ at UFC Paris

Renato Moicano knows he faces a stern test in Benoit Saint Denis.

Moicano (19-6-1 MMA, 11-5 UFC) meets Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 243 (ESPN+) main event at Accor Arena in Paris.

Moicano, who’s a proven submission specialist, is out to prove that he’s better than Saint Denis overall.

“Definitely, Benoit Saint Denis is not easy money, and that’s why he’s in the position he is right now,” Moicano told reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 243 media day (h/t UFC). “We’re fighting in France, right? UFC knows his value, but I’m here to prove I’m better than him. I’m here to beat him.”

Saint Denis is ranked one spot below Moicano in the UFC’s lightweight rankings, meaning a win for Moicano won’t necessarily propel him up the ladder. However, Moicano sees more value in a win over a hyped contender like Saint Denis.

“I think the rankings, they don’t matter,” Moicano said. “You know, if the rankings matter, things will be easier. But no. We saw like last month, Dan Hooker beating Mateusz (Gamrot) and they were pretty far on the rankings. We see some guys, like even McGregor, back in the day – I don’t know, how many years without fighting and he was in the rankings.

“I think this sport, we have to try to see like the popularity, the momentum. And even though Benoit Saint Denis is ranked behind me, I think he has a lot of momentum. I think he has a lot of popularity, especially in Europe, and I think that could catapult me, not to the rankings, but to popularity and I could get even better fights.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.