Renato Moicano wants a shot at welcoming Ilia Topuria back to the UFC, and he's making his case publicly. The veteran lightweight argues he's the ideal opponent for the former two-division champion, who still hasn't booked a fight since Justin Gaethje defeated him via fourth-round TKO (corner stoppage) on June 14, 2026.

Moicano's pitch leans on the idea that Topuria isn't ready for a tough test right now. He believes the Georgian-Spanish star needs an easy fight to rebuild his confidence after that beating, and he's volunteering for the job.

The numbers complicate the 'easy' part of that pitch. Topuria's only loss on record came in that Gaethje fight, where the champion finished him by TKO at the very end of the fourth round. Gaethje now holds the lightweight title off that win.

Moicano isn't just talking, either. He's coming off a finish of Chris Duncan this past April, a rear naked choke in the second round, and he's already lined up his next test. He's set to face Tom Nolan, ranked fourteenth at lightweight with an Elo of 1580, at UFC Vegas 123. A win there would only strengthen his argument that he deserves the Topuria assignment next.

The lightweight picture keeps shifting elsewhere too. With Topuria's uncertain next step, the division's upper half is far from settled heading into whatever comes next for the former champ.